The Ghost Goddess
by darkflame1516
Summary: A new, dark force is plotting for control of the Ghost Zone just as the strange Naomi arrives in town. As suspicions grow Danny is captured in the Ghost Zone. Now only with a young girl's help can Danny save the world from the growing darkness...
1. Prolouge: Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.

**I HAVE EDITED THIS CHAPTER TO MAKE IT FLOW BETTER. SPECIAL THANKS TO the sleep warrior FOR HELP!**

Hi, everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic. Please be honest with your reviews and only give constructive criticism or positive complements. You know the old saying "Say something nice or don't say anything at all." However, if anyone wants to flame me, do so. I won't like it, of course, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I'd like to know the way people honestly feel about my story.

**I hope that my story will give you a couple of laughs. Once more: ****Please review!**

**The Ghost Goddess**

**Prologue – Escape**

_The Ghost Zone_

Two ghosts flew through the ghost zone on a large black motorcycle. The driver had blond hair and wore a leather overcoat, and his passenger had short, spiky green hair and wore a short red dress. A sinister looking shadow lurked behind the pair, following them through the Ghost Zone.

"Johnny, are you sure you even know where we're going? I want my necklace!" A high grating voice rang out from the second ghost. The first ghost looked back at his female companion.

"Yes, Kitty. I know where we are going and we will get your prize soon, I promise," Johnny 13 said with an exasperated sigh. "Now quit bugging me."

"But _Johnny_..." Kitty whined. Johnny 13 swerved to a stop and whirled around to face her.

"Kitty, listen to me. We _will_ find the tomb and we _will_ get that necklace," Johnny said before turning back around. "Now quit bug..."

Johnny paused mid-sentence and stared into the distance. Kitty put her hands on his shoulders and peered around him and peeked around his shoulder.

"Is that it, Johnny?" She quietly asked. Johnny nodded.

"The Queen's tomb."

The duo landed on the huge island and approached the large Egyptian-style pyramid. They spotted a small door at the base, and upon entering, found themselves in a grand entrance hall.

The ceiling and walls were a rich crème color with lilac trimming, and the floor was covered in emerald-colored marble tiles. Over 20 polished wooden chairs adorned with lilac pillows lined the walls, and each chair held a perfectly preserved mummy, with snow-white bandages and each wearing a different style of armor from throughout history.

"Wow," Kitty said, her voice echoing through the hall.

"Shhh," Johnny said, putting a finger to his lips. "Come on." He motioned towards a larger golden door at the opposite end of the hall. As they walked past the mummies, Kitty's high heels clicked ominously against the tile floor.

They reached the door, and Kitty paused to touch it in awe. Opening the door together, they proceeded into the inner chamber, which was even more luxurious than the first. The walls were a bright golden color, brighter than the door itself, and the floor was covered in white tiles with a small path of ruby red ones leading up to a magnificent platform.

A beautiful golden throne rested on the platform, and the armrests were two magnificent jaguars, frozen in mid-strike. Royal purple satin cushions rested on the seat, and a mummy had been placed on the top in a regal position. Unlike the others, this mummy's bandages were old and torn, and it wore no armor. A golden tiara, encrusted with amethysts and rubies sat on its head, and a sapphire pendant hung on its neck from a thin golden chain. Kitty and Johnny reverently approached the platform.

"Wow, Johnny. It's beautiful," Kitty said as she reached for the necklace. "I love it."

"Happy birthday, pet," Johnny said, grinning widely. Kitty's fingers brushed against the chain and the pendant flared to life. Sparks shot from the metal and the sapphire glowed a brilliant blue.

"What's happening, Johnny?" Kitty said in a panic, pulling her hand away from the blazing necklace.

"I don't know, Kitty," Johnny said. "But we better get out of here!" Johnny grabbed Kitty's arm and started pulling her back to the door.

"But what about the necklace?" Kitty whined.

"Forget it," he said, still pulling her to the door.

They barely reached the entrance when it slammed shut, sealing them inside. Whirling around, they saw that the mummy had begun to glow as well. Kitty clutched onto Johnny's arm.

"You dare to desecrate my tomb?" A loud booming voice sounded from the mummy. Kitty and Johnny's eyes widened in fright.

The mummy glowed brighter and brighter until the duo put up their arms to shield their eyes. After a few moments they lowered their arms and stared at the mummy. It's wrappings were gone, and in their place stood a beautiful female ghost. Her skin was as pale and as radiant as the moon, her eyes a pale lavender that glowed with an inner fury and her midnight-black hair flowed angrily around her ankles. She wore an ancient Egyptian tunic with a golden collar and matching bangles on her wrists. The beautiful tiara that had been on the mummy's head now rested on her forehead, and the sapphire necklace Kitty had coveted was draped around her elegant neck.

"Answer me! Who are you who dares to desecrate my tomb?" The gorgeous specter bellowed. Kitty and Johnny stared, overwhelmed by the ghost's aura of power. "Answer me or face my wrath!"

"I-I-I'm Kitty…" she said nervously, stepping forward to address the ghost.

"Why do you seek my pendant?" The woman asked. Kitty gulped, unable to speak again.

"I-I was only trying to give my girlfriend a birthday gift," Johnny said. "We meant no harm to you or your...tomb."

"You lie. You lie to me," the ghost said. Now it was Johnny's turn to gulp. "However, your crime shall be forgiven. You have freed me from my eternal slumber. And now I can begin the task I started centuries ago. I shall again conquer the realm of spirits!" The ghost laughed maliciously and her eyes glowed royal purple.

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**Well, that's it for the chapter! I hope you like my story so far and I REALLY hope that you review. The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post again. Stay tuned for Chapter One! See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 1: New Kid

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.

**I HAVE EDITED THIS CHAPTER TO MAKE IT FLOW BETTER. SPECIAL THANKS TO the sleep warrior FOR HELP!**

**Hello, again! Thank you once more for taking the time to read my fanfic. I hope you are being honest with your reviews and will try to give constructive criticism and/or positive complements. Blah, blah, blah, old saying, blah, blah. Flames accepted, though not liked.**

**I hope you liked the prologue and hope you like this chapter. ****Please review!**

**Chapter 1 – New Kid**

"Danny, you'd better hurry up or you'll be late!" Maddie Fenton called through the door of her son's bedroom as she passed by in the hallway. About 10 minutes later, a raven-haired boy rolled over and looked at his clock. Yelping, he bolted upright in his bed.

"I'm late!" He leapt from the bed and threw on the first clothes he found, grabbed his backpack, and ran down the stairs and out the front door.

"Late! Bye! Later!" Danny yelled to his parents as he ran from the house and down the street to the school. Jack Fenton looked up from the kitchen table and his latest invention.

"Where's he going?" Jack asked his wife, Maddie, who was watching Danny run from the window. She turned to him.

"He's headed for school," she said.

"But it's Saturday, isn't it?" Jack asked. Maddie shook her head.

"No, dear. You're just forgetful," she said.

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"Hey Danny, over here!" Sam yelled, waving to her best friend. Danny hurried over to his locker and his waiting friends.

"Hi guys," he said as he opened his locker. He threw some books in and grabbed the ones he would need while Tucker and Sam watched him apprehensively.

"You're cutting it kind of close this morning, aren't you Danny?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I mean, you're usually late, but it's like 5 minutes till the bell," Tucker agreed.

"I was up late fighting ghosts last night," Danny groaned. "It seems like there's more than usual lately."

"Maybe something supernatural is going on," Tucker proposed. Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Or maybe you're both just paranoid," she said. Danny was about to protest when a large commotion in the hallway interrupted their conversation.

"I wonder what that's all about?" Tucker asked as they tried to force their way through the crowd. Danny grabbed Sam and Tucker's hands and phased through the crowd. They stopped short as they saw the cause of the disturbance.

A girl stood in the middle of the hallway with all the jocks and popular guys fawning over her. Her silky black hair hung almost to her knees, and her short bangs covered her eyes. She was very tall and lithe with lightly tanned skin, and wore a short black and purple plaid skirt, black fishnet tights with rips down the sides and ankle-breaking black high heels. Her black tank top had "AC DC" emblazoned on the front, and her royal purple lip gloss matched the color of her skirt. The purple eye-liner and eye shadow framed her brilliant blue eyes, which were filled with boredom. Danny knew that her bright blue irises were a near perfect match of his own eyes.

"Wow," he said, not taking his eyes off the girl.

"Looks like there's new girl in school. And she's a Goth chick, too," Tucker said. "You got some serious competition, Sam." Sam glared at him and took a deep breath.

"First off, women are not _chicks_," Sam said, spitting out the last word with venomous hatred. "Second, she is not Goth. She's just faking to look cool."

"And you know that…how?" Tucker asked.

"Well, I'm not positive, but most people are just faking it," Sam replied.

"Oh god, it's Dash," Danny interrupted. They all turned their attention to the center of the hall. The new girl, who had been ignoring the flirtatious guys while continuing to walk down the hallway, was now blocked by Dash Baxter.

"Yes?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I'm Dash," he said. She smiled skeptically.

"And your point?" She asked. The crowd gasped and Danny grinned. Dash looked confused at her attitude. He was used to girls falling right into his arms.

"Well, you're hot," he said, making it sound like an obvious fact.

"Yes, I've noticed. Again, I have to ask, what's your point?"

"You're hot and I'm popular. Tell me your name and I'll pick you up at eight," he said, grinning. The crowd had started to disperse because the bell was about to ring, but Danny, Sam, and Tucker stayed behind to hear the girl's response.

"As far as you're concerned, my name is Never in a Million Years," the girl said. Then she walked around Dash, leaving him with his jaw hanging open. The bell rang and Dash's friends dragged him to homeroom.

As the girl approached Danny and his friends, Sam jumped out and stuck out her hand in welcome.

"Hi. I'm Sam Manson," she said.

"I'm Naomi Cohen," the new girl replied, gripping her hand and shaking it.

"Pleased to meet you," Sam said.

"You too. By the way, do you know where room 78 is? I need to get to homeroom," Naomi asked. Sam nodded.

"It's my homeroom too." Naomi giggled as the two headed to homeroom, leaving Tucker and Danny behind. The boys exchanged a confused look, then rushed off to their own homerooms too.

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"I hate Dash," Danny said as he slammed his tray down on the lunch table and sat down across from Tucker and Sam. Sam kept eating, undisturbed by the outburst, but Tucker looked up at Danny.

"What'd he do now?" He asked. Danny opened his mouth, but Sam interrupted.

"He got shoved into his locker again," she said indifferently.

"Why didn't you just phase out?" Tucker asked, playing with his PDA and seemed only half-interested in the story.

"I did, but that's not the point," Danny said as he began to eat his lunch.

"Then what is the point?" Tucker asked.

Naomi watched Danny sit down and talk angrily with his friends while she waited in line for her lunch. It bothered her that she couldn't hear him. _But everyone is entitled to their privacy._ She thought. Once she had retrieved the gruel that the lunch lady called "Sloppy Joes", she walked toward the group.

"The point is that Dash is a bullying idiot and should be trapped inside a locker for all eternity," Danny ranted as Naomi walked up. She slammed her tray down beside his and swung her leg over the back of a chair.

"What's wrong with Mr. Sunshine over here?" She asked Sam as she sat down. Danny looked over at her, surprised to see her sitting next to him. Sam greeted Naomi and Tucker stared speechless at the raven-haired beauty.

"Danny's mad 'cause Dash shoved him into a locker," Sam said.

"Sam!" Danny shouted, horrified that she had told Naomi.

"What, Danny? She's new, she hates Dash, and she needs friends," Sam defended.

"Here, here," Naomi said, holding her soda up in a toast. Danny ignored her and focused on Sam.

"Sam, that kind of stuff is _personal_," Danny hissed at his Goth friend. Sam waved it off, but didn't get a chance to speak before Naomi did.

"Don't worry, Danny," she said, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I won't tell anyone." Danny looked at her, shock filling his gaze once more. _She's touching me! Should I be mad or happy about this? I don't know what I should feel! Now say something, Danny! Don't look like a speechless moron!_

"Um, okay," he said nervously.

"Besides," Naomi looked straight in his eyes. "I like a man who's flexible." Danny gulped loudly and Sam coughed, but Tucker was still awestruck, staring at Naomi.

"So, Naomi," Sam said, eager to change the subject. "You want to catch a movie with us later?"

"Sure. Why not?" Naomi said, nodding. Tucker and Danny just looked at Naomi, jaws hanging open. Aware that she must be making Danny nervous, Naomi dropped her arm from his shoulder and turned to her lunch. Her gaze landed on Tucker, who was sitting across from her. His PDA was limp in his hand and he seemed dazzled by her presence.

"Tucker, you're drooling," Sam said, handing him a napkin. He wiped furiously at his mouth while Naomi giggled. Her eyes met Sam's and they both burst out laughing.

"What's up with you two? You just met this morning and you're acting like your best friends," Danny asked. Sam's gaze fell on Danny angrily.

"So, I'm not allowed to make new friends?" She asked venomously. Danny was about to argue when Naomi held her hands up.

"Whoa! Enough, you guys. I'm new here and Sam was being friendly. We hit it off in homeroom and we're friends now. Just like I want to be friends with you and Tucker. We clear?" Naomi said, commanding the trio's attention. They all nodded but Danny still shot Sam a worried glance.

"So you still wanna go to the movies, Naomi?" Sam asked, changing the subject once again. Naomi groaned and smacked herself in the head with the flat of her palm.

"I can't. I forgot that I'm visiting with one of my mom's old college friends after school. What a snooze-fest that's going to be," she said.

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"I don't understand why you don't like her, Danny. There's nothing wrong with her," Sam said as they walked to Danny's house after school. Danny sighed. Ever since lunch, he'd been trying to make Sam understand why he was uncomfortable around Naomi.

"Sam, just drop it, all right? You win," Danny admitted. Sam smiled smugly but let the topic die. When they were almost at Danny's house, Tucker, who had remained silent the entire trip, spoke up and his voice startled the two friends.

"I'm gonna ask her out," Tucker said confidently.

"Is that why you've been so quiet today?" Sam asked.

"I've been thinking about it all day. And I've decided to ask her out. If she turned Dash down, then there's hope for me," he replied. Sam shrugged.

"Okay it's your funeral," she said. They reached the front door of the Fenton household and Danny reached for the knob.

"Will you guys shut it about Naomi? I don't wanna think about her right now. I'm just gonna run up to my room and get my money. Then we'll go to the movies, have a fun time, and not think about Naomi until tomorrow," Danny practically screamed. Sam and Tucker exchanged a confused look, but didn't argue with Danny. They opened the door, and had no sooner stepped inside when Jack Fenton suddenly leapt out at them.

"Danny, you have to come meet your mom's old friend and her family," he said, starting to drag them into the living room.

"But we're kinda busy, Dad…"

"Nonsense, son," Jack said. They arrived in the living room and Danny's eyes spotted two new people sitting on the couch between his mother and Jazz. One was an older woman who appeared to be in her early forties. She had short, curly black hair, emerald green eyes and pale skin and was wearing a pink jumpsuit similar to Maddie's. The other person looked decidedly familiar.

"Kids, I want you to meet Patty and her daughter…"

"Danny?"

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**Once more, I hoped you liked this chapter! I REALLY hope that you review. The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post again. Stay tuned for Chapter Two! Ta ta for now!**


	3. Chapter 2: Unpleasant Surprises

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Hi again! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy with the number of reviews for only the prologue and Chapter One. YEAH!**

**I give special thanks to ****the sleep warrior,**** who is my beta-reader, for helping me with this chapter. You should all get on your knees and give praise!**

**Please read & review!**

**Chapter 2 – Unpleasant Surprises**

"Naomi?" Sam and Tucker exclaimed at once.

"You know each other?" Maddie asked, surprised by the outbursts. Sam nodded and Tucker drooled, but Danny remained silent. He watched quietly as the woman next to his mother, the one Jack had called Patty, turned to Naomi.

"How do you know these people, Nammy?" Patty asked. Naomi's eyes went wide at the nickname.

"Mom!" She hissed. "Could you not call me that?"

"I'm still waiting for an answer, Nammy," Patty said, tapping her foot. Sam and Tucker were trying hard not to laugh at Naomi's nickname, Jack was still standing in the doorway grinning, Maddie and Jazz were watching Patty and Naomi argue, and Danny just stared at them all.

"We met at school," she said. "Now could you please drop it?"

"Well, isn't that interesting," Patty said, turning to Maddie. "That's exactly how we met, remember, Maddie?" Maddie put a hand to her mouth and chuckled.

"Oh, you're right, Patty!" She said. The two women started laughing and Jack left the room, seemingly bored with the conversation and muttering something about a "ghostly sandwich attacking". Sam and Tucker stopped laughing and sat down beside Jazz, who was reading a book and had been ignoring the conversation. Danny finally snapped out of his stupor and glared at Naomi and his friends.

"What is she doing here?" He practically hissed at his mother.

"This is Patty Cohen. She was my best friend in college and she's also a fellow ghost hunter," Maddie said proudly, ignoring her son's tone of voice. Patty blushed at Maddie's glorious introduction, while Sam, Tucker, and Danny raised their eyebrows in confusion. At Maddie's statement about ghost hunting, Naomi snorted with a laugh.

"Who are you guys fooling? There's no such thing as ghosts," she said. Maddie started arguing with Naomi, while Patty yelled at her daughter for disrespecting her career. Danny, Sam, and Tucker shared a look and sneaked off to his room so Danny could get his money for the movies.

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Danny waved goodbye to Sam and Tucker as they reached the door of the Fenton residence. The movies had been a lot of fun, but Danny was wiped out from the day's events._ Too bad I still have to go ghost hunting._ He thought. He walked into his house and was surprised to find Naomi and Jazz curled up on the couch, watching a documentary on psychology.

"Hi, Danny," Jazz said nonchalantly. Naomi looked up from the television screen to find Danny's gaze upon her. _Jeez! _She thought. _If looks could kill._

"Hi," she said, worried about how he would react to her being at his house this late in the day. Danny didn't answer her; instead he turned to Jazz, his right eyelid twitching in fury and his fists clenched tight.

"What is she still doing here?" He hissed though clenched teeth.

"Oh, Patty forgot to do something with the paperwork for their house, so they're staying here until everything's straightened out," she answered, not taking her eyes off the TV.

"WHAT!"

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Danny sat in his room, grumbling angrily about the new houseguests. _Why, of all places, do they have to stay _here_? Were all the motels booked! Why Amity Park? Why my house? Why me!_

Danny jumped as someone knocked on the door, snapping him from his daze. He was about to tell them to leave him alone when the door opened. His face darkened into a scowl as he saw Naomi in the hall.

"May I come in, Mister Grumpy?" She asked, moving no further than the doorway so as to not infringe upon him further. Not saying anything to her, Danny turned his back to her and looked out his window. Sighing, she stepped inside his room and closed the door. Sitting down next to him, she shoved his arm off of his bed and he toppled to the floor. He hastily sat up, almost hitting his head on his desk in the process.

"What was that for?" He shouted at her. She sat on the bed with her knees folded under her and looked down at him.

"I pushed you 'cause you're acting stupid," she said. He started to protest but she held up a hand to silence him. "I'm not finished yet."

"Fine. Go on," he said, standing back up. He leaned against the wall opposite of her and folded his arms across his chest.

"I want to be your friend. And I thought that was what you wanted too," she started.

"I do," he interrupted, "but…"

"Then why are you acting angry and spiteful around me? I just met you today and you're acting like I've hurt you personally. How could I have possibly offended you? I mean, I usually end up offending people, but not this quickly," Naomi said, laughing. Danny couldn't help but crack a smile; her laugh had a strong uplifting tone to it.

"You haven't offended me. It's just…I don't like it when things change. I don't like it when new people and situations come into my life that I can't control," he explained.

"Well, how do you think I feel? I had to move to a completely different town and school, away from all of my friends and everything I have ever known. My mother uprooted both of our lives just so she could go ghost hunting with her college roomie!"

"Uh…that sucks," Danny said, not knowing how to respond.

"Thanks for the oh-so-infinite wisdom," Naomi said sarcastically. "Nobody likes change, Danny. Not you, not me, not anybody! But just because we don't like it doesn't mean we can stop change from happening."

Danny sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. "You're right. I'm sorry I was so rude to you." She smiled at him.

"Don't worry 'bout it," she said, shrugging. "I'm just glad we understand each other now."

"You're gonna be one tough friend," he said.

"Hell yeah!" Naomi said, raising her fist in pride. They both burst out laughing but were interrupted by the shouting that emanated from Jazz's room.

"Darn folding bed. MADDIE!" Jack yelled. Naomi giggled a bit longer before standing up.

"I'd better go help your dad with moving my crap into Jazz's room," she said. Danny nodded. "Thanks for being my friend, Danny. You don't know what it means to me."

She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then walked out of the room humming some random song. Danny blinked in surprise. _Did she just kiss me? She just kissed me! Tucker is gonna be so jealous!_

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Danny quietly crept out of his room and down to the basement, not wanting his family to know that he was going out after curfew. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he groaned at the sight his gaze fell on.

The lab was perfectly empty, except for one thing: Naomi. She stood at the end of the lab, examining the ghost portal in the wall. Danny quietly snuck up behind her, hoping to startle her.

"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts," he said, waiting for her to jump and when she didn't, he became deeply confused.

"I would never _ever_ tell my mom this, but I actually do believe in ghosts," she said.

"Why do you believe in ghosts? And, how come I didn't scare you?" He asked.

"You groaned over by the stairs. I'm not deaf, you know," she looked at him skeptically, raising one eyebrow. "And there have to be ghosts. How else to you explain all the strange things that happen in this world?" Danny shrugged, secretly agreeing with her but not wanting to let her know.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing down here?" He asked.

"Hey, ask away. It's your house, after all," she said grinning. "I just needed a break from your dad's fight with the folding bed. That, and I wanted to see your parents' ghost fighting stuff."

"There's not that much to see. Most of this crap doesn't even work," he said, gesturing around the room. "But then again, my dad invented it, so of course it doesn't work." Naomi giggled.

"Well, I'm off to go watch your dad wrestle with inanimate objects." The two laughed and Naomi headed for the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she turned around and looked at Danny.

"Goodnight, Danny Fenton."

"Goodnight, Naomi, and welcome to the Fenton household." Danny said.

She smiled at him again and walked up the stairs and out of sight. Shaking his head to clear it of thoughts of Naomi, he transformed into his ghostly form, the bright rings of energy traveling up and down his body. Grabbing the Fenton thermos, he flew out of the lab and into the night.

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**Well, what'd ya think? As always: ****More Reviews Sooner Updates****. Look out for Chapter Three! TTFN!**


	4. Chapter 3: Beauty and the TechnoGeek

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Hi again! I am really, Really, REALLY pleased with all the people that reviewed this story! I was worried thus was gonna turn out like some of my other stories! (which, by the way, feel free to check out if you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Inuyasha, or The Fantastic Four)**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. ****Repeating myself****: I hope you are being honest with your reviews and will try to give constructive criticism and/or positive complements. Blah, blah, blah, old saying, blah, blah. Flames accepted, though not liked.**

Go ahead!

**Chapter 3 – Beauty and the Techno-Geek**

"Danny, I am not going to do it no matter how many names you call me," Naomi firmly stated as she tried to take a bite of her burger. It was now her second day in Amity Park and ever since their talk the night before, she and Danny were quickly becoming fast friends. She waved at Tucker and Sam, who were slowly approaching the table in the lunchroom at Casper High, confused by the fact that Danny was actually being nice to Naomi.

"You're not gonna do what?" Tucker asked as he sat down. Naomi opened her mouth, but Danny spoke first.

"I dared her to put a 'kick me' sign…"

"On Dash's back," Naomi added. "But I said that I wasn't going to do it, so…"

"I called her a chicken," Danny finished and they both burst out laughing. Sam and Tucker exchanged a puzzled look. _They're finishing each other's sentences?_ Sam thought. _What exactly went on between them yesterday?_

"Hey, Danny, weren't you mad at a certain someone yesterday?" Sam hinted subtly while avoiding Naomi's gaze.

"Oh don't worry about that, Sam," Naomi said. "Danny and I talked about it last night. We're friends now."

"Last night? But you don't know his phone number," Sam replied, looking back and forth between Danny and Naomi in confusion.

"Well, by a weird and hopefully temporary coincidence, I'm sharing a room with Jazz," Naomi said casually, taking a bite out of her burger and chewing it slowly. Sam felt her face turn red as anger filled her and her eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"Danny, can I speak to you for a minute?" She hissed through clenched teeth as her hand latched onto his arm.

"But I'm not done eati…" He was cut off as Sam dragged him away from the table and hauled him into the hallway.

"What are you doing?" Sam yelled. Danny gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" He asked.

"I'm talking about you…_flirting_ with Naomi," she hissed. Danny laughed in shock.

"I'm not flirting with Naomi," he defended. Sam looked at him skeptically.

"Then why were you two finishing each other's sentences? And why didn't you tell me she was staying at your house?"

"I didn't know until last night that she was staying with my family. And I didn't tell you because I haven't seen you all day and you didn't give me the chance to tell you before you got all pissed off," he said, crossing his arms across his chest as he grew increasingly more angry at Sam.

"Well, you could have called me," Sam replied bitterly.

"You mean, I should've called you to tell you something that could wait until I saw you again? To tell you about something that neither one of us could change?"

"You could've called because I'm your friend." Sam looked straight into Danny's face as she spoke, her eyes filled with an insatiable rage.

"Well, maybe I didn't see the need to tell you," Danny shouted.

"Maybe you aren't my friend," she replied loudly.

"Maybe I'm not." The words had left Danny's mouth before he knew what he had said. Sam put her hand to her mouth and gasped. Danny started to speak again, to say he hadn't meant it, when Sam spun on her heel and angrily stomped away.

_Nice going, Danny._ He thought, mentally kicking himself for his stupidity.

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Naomi and Tucker were now alone at the table and for several tense moments, neither one of them spoke. Naomi chewed on her burger, her eyes wandering the cafeteria, looking everywhere but at Tucker. _It's now or never, Tucker._ He thought. _Time to make your move._

"So, Naomi?" He asked, his voice wavering uncertainly. She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling beautifully.

"Yes, Tucker?"

"I was wondering…uh…if maybe…youwantedtogooutwithme," he finished in a rush, looking down at his uneaten lunch. Naomi raised an eyebrow at him, obviously not understanding a word he had just said.

"You wanna try speaking slower, Tucker?" She asked. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Do you want to go out with me?"

"Well…um…" Naomi didn't know what to say. She hadn't been expecting this. "Sure."

"I understand. I hope we can still be…what did you say?" He looked up, startled, as her words finally hit him.

"I said yes. I'd love to go out with you, Tucker." She smiled at him, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth. Matching her smile with one of his own, he looked straight into her bright blue eyes and she blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

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The walk back to Danny's house was a very quiet one. Danny and Sam were still upset about the argument they'd had at lunch, and weren't speaking with each other, and Tucker and Naomi were constantly smiling at each other.

Danny was glaring at Sam's back as she walked in front of him beside Tucker and Naomi, when suddenly he saw his breath. He pulled Tucker away from Naomi and Sam and whispered "ghost." Tucker's eyes went wide.

"What are you gonna do?" He whispered back. Sam and Naomi paused when they realized that the boys weren't moving and looked back at them, silently asking with their eyes why they had stopped walking. Before Danny could answer either question, a blast of bright green ghostly energy hit the ground in front of the girls.

The blast threw Sam into the street, but she immediately stood up, ready to fight. Unfortunately, the same wasn't true for Naomi. The assault had sent her flying backward through the air, and the boys were too shocked by the attack to help her. She hit the sidewalk with a sickening thud, immediately losing consciousness. Tucker knelt down beside her to see if she was all right. Danny glanced at them to make sure he had the situation under control and transformed into his ghost form, flying up into the air to confront their attacker. When he finally saw him, he groaned in frustration.

"Not you again," he moaned. The ghost scowled at him.

"I am not the same ghost you have known!" He shouted. "I am the new and improved Technus, master of all technology!"

"First off, you look the same as you always have. Second, I've heard that line before," Danny replied. Technus frowned and started shooting energy blasts at him, but Danny was too quick for him and dodged every one. He began to throw his own attacks, but was disappointed when Technus was able to avoid them all.

"Enough! Let us finish this while I am still young!" Technus shouted. Danny raised an eyebrow, taking in the graying hair and, dare he say it, wrinkles. He put his hands together and started to build an energy ball and Technus did the same. _I hope I finish first._ Danny thought. _Because if I don't…I'm toast._

-------------

_My head…my back…everything hurts. I wonder why?_ Naomi opened her eyes and the light seemed harsh. She flinched before her eyes adjusted. She sat up and instantly became dizzy. _Too fast…_

"Naomi, are you okay?" She heard a voice asking her, but it seemed to distant to be real. She looked around and saw Tucker's worried face staring back at her. Realizing her voice wasn't cooperating with her, she nodded her head, but winced as a sharp pain shot through her.

"Wha…what happened?" She asked Tucker, but she didn't give him time to answer before she stood up. She saw Sam standing a bit away from her, looking up in the sky. Following Sam's gaze, she saw a spectacular event happening above her head.

Two ghosts floated above her, gathering energy into their hands. One was very odd looking and seemed old, even for a ghost, with wild white hair and wrinkles, but Naomi didn't take much notice of him. Instead, she focused on the second ghost. He had short and spiky white hair, wore a black and white jumpsuit, and had glowing green eyes that seemed to hypnotize her.

"Wow," she whispered, just as the ghost she had been ignoring noticed that she was conscious.

"At last! The chosen one shall now feed my power and I, Technus, will finally be able to rule the world!" The white-haired specter forgot his battle with the other ghost and swooped down at Naomi. Against her will, she let loose a blood-curdling scream and covered her face with her arms.

Naomi's shout sent shivers down Danny's spine. _Man, can that girl yell!_ He thought. When Technus had almost reached Naomi, Danny shot his stored up energy blast and scored a direct hit to the ghost's back. Technus whirled back around, only to be sucked into the Fenton thermos.

"Gotcha!" Danny shouted with glee. Then he noticed that Sam, Tucker, and Naomi were staring at him. Sam and Tucker's looks were telling him, "leave and we'll handle her." But Naomi's gaze held something different entirely. Her eyes were sparkling with admiration and something that looked like devotion. _I'd better fly away and let Sam and Tucker handle my alibi._ He soared into the sky and headed toward his house.

"Wow," Naomi said with a sigh as she watched the mysterious ghost fly away. "Who was that?"

"I don't know. But you should thank him, 'cause I think he saved your life," Sam said, turning her back to Naomi, who raised an eyebrow at her. _I wonder what she's hiding?_ she thought before Tucker touched her arm.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He asked worriedly. Naomi felt her heart warm at his concern. She nodded and they started walking towards Danny's house once more, but she quickly noticed that Danny was missing.

"Hey, where did Danny go?" She asked and Tucker and Sam glanced at each other.

"When you got knocked out, he ran to his house to get help," Sam said without glancing back, moving to walk in front of Naomi and Tucker. _I wonder why Sam is mad at me? Are all these people emotionally insecure?_ She thought, flashing back to her talk with Danny the night before. _And I wonder who that ghost-boy was? He was really brave…and really cute!_

Once they had reached Danny's house, they saw him standing beside the steps, gripping the handrail and breathing heavily as sweat dripped down his body. He looked up as they approached and let a look of shock pass over his face.

"Are you all right, Naomi? I ran all the way here but I was too out of breath to get help," he said as the three walked up to him.

"I'm fine, Danny. Thank you for all the effort," she answered as she started up the steps with Tucker at her side. She slipped a bit but Tucker's arm was there to support her. Smiling up at him with gratitude, he helped her inside.

"Nice acting," Sam said to Danny after Naomi had gone inside.

"It took me the whole time you were walking here to work up a sweat," he said and Sam laughed. He joined in as they walked up the steps and followed Naomi and Tucker inside. _She still seems mad… _Danny thought. _But at least she's talking to me._

-------------

"Jazz, are you sure that this will look good with my outfit?" Naomi asked nervously as Jazz played with her hair. She was getting ready for her date with Tucker and desperately wanted things to go smoothly, that she was very worried about her appearance.

"I'm positive. Just trust me," Jazz replied, picking up more hairspray.

"Okay," she said anxiously. _I hope Tucker will like this. _She thought as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, waiting for it to pass. When it did, she let out a sigh of relief. _I hope I can make it through the night. I should have taken a little time to recover._ She glanced at Jazz's clock and sighed again. _It's too late now. He'll be here any minute._

-------------

Danny sat in the living room, straining his ears to try and hear if anything was going on in Jazz's room, but his ears were met with silence, which bothered him. _Shouldn't she be running around screaming about not being able to be ready on time? Shouldn't she be complaining about her outfit or her hair? Shouldn't she be making _some_ kind of noise? What kind of girl is she?_

Danny snapped out of his stupor as the doorbell rang. He answered it and let Tucker in, congratulating him on his date with Naomi.

"Good luck," he said.

"Thanks, I think I'll need it," Tucker replied. Then Jazz walked down the stairs and looked at the two guys.

"It is now my pleasure to present," she said, gesturing toward the stairs. "Miss Naomi Cohen!"

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**The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post again provided I don't get busy with schoolwork. I have mid-terms starting. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! **

**I have decided to begin dedicating chapters to my reviewers. YEAH! I am doing it on points and questions about the show. Here are the rules:**

**#1: first reviewer – 5 points**

**#2: correct answer for questions – 3 points each**

**#3: I will keep track of each reviewers points. Each chapter's points will be added to the previous ones. So if u don't win one chapter, u could win the next one!**

**#4: if u have a chapter dedicated to you, the chapter DIRECTLY after that one cannot be dedicated to you. Example: Ch. 1 is dedicated to u. Ch. 2 cannot be dedicated to u. But Ch. 3 could. Got it?**

**The questions for this chapter is: **

**In "The Ultimate Enemy", what was the name of the Box Ghost's kid?**

**In "Fanning the Flames", what was the name of the machine designed to help kids study?**

**In "Control Freaks", what was the name of Freakshow's circus?**

**Keep your eyes peeled for Chapter Four! See ya later, alligator!**


	5. Chapter 4: Dinner Disaster

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.

**YEAH! FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER FOUR! THANKS FOR WAITING SO PATIENTLY! I am STILL really, Really, REALLY pleased with all the people that reviewed this story! (Once more, feel free to check out my other fics if you like "Inu-Yasha" and/or "The Fantastic Four")**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. ****Repeating myself****: I hope you are being honest with your reviews and will try to give constructive criticism and/or positive complements. Blah, blah, blah, old saying, blah, blah. Flames accepted, though not liked.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: the posessed one**

**READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

**Chapter 4 – Dinner Disaster**

Naomi took a deep breath and leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs. Jazz smiled at her and slowly started down the steps. She felt the coolness of the wall on her forehead and sighed again. _Come on, Naomi! You can do this! _She stood up straight and concentrated on keeping the pain in her body at bay. She watched as Jazz reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to the boys.

"I hope Danny likes this outfit. I mean, Tucker. I hope Tucker likes this outfit," she said, startled by her own words. _Did I really just say Danny? It must just be the stress._ She took a step down the stairs and her leg started throbbing. _Or the pain._

"Miss Naomi Cohen!" She heard Jazz say. _And that's my cue._ Naomi thought. She fixed a smile on her face and walked down the rest of the stairs.

-------------

Danny and Tucker watched in awe as Naomi stepped gracefully into the living room. Their jaws dropped as they caught sight of her, and she blushed slightly at their intense gazes. She was a wearing a scarlet red mini-skirt that showed off her perfectly curved legs and accented matching sandals that were studded with rubies. She also wore a crimson halter top, revealing a pendant shaped like a red rose around her elegant neck. Her ebony hair had been pulled into a long French braid with two strands styled into wavy curls left hanging on either side of her face. Her bangs were no longer visible, as they had been pushed on top of her head and fixed into place with an abundant amount of hairspray.

Her face was even more lovely than usual; a light blush gave her pale skin a moon-like radiance, her eyelids were painted with agreeing tones of pale pink and lined with black mascara. Her lips were a bright cherry red and looked full and desirable. Her luminous blue eyes stood out brightly against the red and her dazzling white smile lit up her whole face.

"Wow," Tucker whispered, but everyone heard it. Jazz smiled while Naomi giggled. Danny just stood staring at her, enraptured by her beauty. Naomi glanced at Tucker as she stepped up to him. He was wearing black dress pants and a matching suit jacket with a cobalt blue silk shirt under it. He was still wearing a hat, although this one was black and matched his outfit.

"You look nice too, Tucker. Shall we go?" She asked, offering her arm to him. He nodded and slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow.

"Bye, guys!" Naomi said to Jazz and Danny as they walked out the door.

"Good luck and have fun!" Jazz yelled in response, but Danny was still too awed by Naomi to reply. Jazz shot her brother a puzzled look as he stood perfectly still in the living room, but she just turned and walked back upstairs to her bedroom, shaking her head at her brother's stunned expression.

_Was that really Naomi? It sounded like her and Jazz said it was her, but that did not look like Naomi. She was…beautiful. If that was Naomi, then she's absolutely gorgeous. This is just way too weird._ Danny snapped out of his thoughts and transformed, flying out of the house to go ghost-hunting. _Anything to keep my mind off of her._

-------------

"You're right, that fight scene was awesome," Naomi said, laughing. She and Tucker were sitting across the table from each other in the outside garden area of a moderately stylish restaurant, and discussing the movie they had seen earlier. Naomi glanced around the garden, looking for the waiter carrying their desserts and her eyes fell on the elegant fountain placed in the center of the garden. It was roughly the size of a small swimming pool and seemed as if it was deeper than it looked. The water that filled it was as clear as crystal and sparkled in the light of the full moon that shone overhead.

"You know, I never thought that a girl as pretty as you would like fight movies," Tucker said, than he winced, worried that she would take it the wrong way. But Naomi just smiled at him.

"I'd take a good action film over a chick flick any day," she said confidently. Tucker felt himself smile as well and they sat there for a few moments, just grinning at each other like Cheshire cats. The waiter arrived and placed their desserts in front of them. Tucker had gotten a plain strawberry cheesecake, but Naomi had ordered something called "The Gut-Buster, which turned out to be a large sundae with a scoop each of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream dripping with whipped cream, hot chocolate, and sprinkles topped by a cluster of cherries that matched her outfit. Tucker stared in shock as she vigorously dug into her food, gracefully shoving spoonfuls in her mouth. She noticed him staring at her and paused in her intake of ice cream.

"What?" She asked, wiping a dribble of hot fudge from her chin. Tucker shook his head and smiled at her.

"I just never knew that anyone could shovel food into their mouths and still make it graceful and ladylike," he replied, taking a bite of his cheesecake. Naomi felt a red flush creep into her cheeks and her face grew hot. Then her brow furrowed in suspicion.

"That was a compliment, right?" When Tucker nodded, she grinned wide, the blush returning to her face. "Thank you. And I never met a guy who ate less than I did." She laughed, a joyful and uplifting sound that compelled Tucker to join in. Once they had stopped, they stared at each other, captivated by the moment when suddenly screams of panic broke their reverence.

They looked toward the noise and saw a ghost floating over the tables, shooting bolts of green ectoplasm at the scurrying patrons. The ghost had glowing green hair, red and black pants and jacket, and a black cloak flowing from his shoulders.

"Run, puny humans! Flee from your doom!" He cackled ominously. Both Tucker and Naomi leapt up from their seats, then glanced at each other in confusion. When the other customers had left, the ghost turned toward the only two left; Tucker and Naomi. He slowly floated towards them, when a look of recognition passed over the ghost's face.

"The chosen one," he whispered. Naomi and Tucker exchanged another look, this time of puzzlement. "Come to me, chosen one and together we will use your power to rule the world."

Unsure of who the ghost was talking to, Tucker reached for Naomi and began backing up, but Naomi shook him off and raised an eyebrow at the ghost.

"Dude, what are you smoking?" She said. The ghost appeared confused, but soon replaced that expression with a snarl.

"You shall not speak to Necron that way! I am ghost of the beasts and I will not stand for insolence!" He shouted at her. Assuming that either the ghost was Necron or he was schizophrenic, Naomi followed Tucker's lead and began backing up until her back slammed into the table. She gasped as a shiver of pain shot through her, causing her to stumble. Just as Tucker reached out to comfort her, they heard a loud cracking sound from Necron's direction. His bones were shifting, his body becoming distorted as he morphed. Naomi fought the urge to throw up as he finished his transformation into a large, glowing purple crow. He swooped down onto them and grabbed her in one of his giant claws, flapping up into the night. As he circled higher, Naomi let loose a blood-curdling scream.

"Naomi!" Tucker shouted. Suddenly, a large green energy bolt hit Necron and sizzled his ghostly flesh. Both Tucker and Necron snapped his gaze towards the figure that had fired the shot.

"Danny!" Tucker yelled.

-------------

Naomi felt a shiver of fear climb up her back as Necron flew away with her, but at the same time she felt thrilled to be flying. _I never thought I'd ever get to fly like this! The wind in my hair, sweet air in my face…ghost claw around my stomach. Okay, so maybe it isn't my _perfect _vision of flying, but it's still exciting._ Naomi snapped out of her thoughts as Necron jerked, his head turned to the side. She followed his gaze and saw the ghost boy who had saved her earlier coming to her rescue once more.

"Who do you think you are to attack Necron? Do you honestly think you can defeat me, child?" Necron hissed scornfully. The ghost boy folded his arms across his chest and stared into Necron's eyes.

"I already hit you and burned you," he said, motioning toward the spot of smoking flesh on Necron's shoulder.

"Perhaps, but that will not save you, ghost child," Necron screamed, his eyes blazing intensely. The ghost boy started tipping in the air, becoming mesmerized by Necron's stare. Naomi watched the ghost boy and knew he would perish if Necron hypnotized him. _I have to help him! There's no one else to save him from Necron! But how can I break the spell?_ She thought quickly and came up with the perfect solution. She reared her head back, ignoring the pain that shot through her, and screamed as loud as she could.

-------------

Tucker watched helplessly as Danny was being hypnotized. He frantically tried to think of a way to help him when Naomi began yelling her head off. It was a wordless scream that sent shivers down his spine. _Man, can she yell or what?_ He thought. The shrill sound snapped Danny out of his trance and he shot another energy blast at Necron, this time aiming for the claw that held Naomi. He scored a direct hit and the claw opened, releasing Naomi. She screamed loudly as she plummeted the short distance to the ground, landing in the garden pool with a loud splash just as Danny was sucking Necron into the thermos. He started to yell in victory but then spotted Tucker trying to help Naomi out of the fountain. _Gulp!_ He thought. _She is gonna be so pissed! I'd better get home before they do._ And Danny once more flew off, leaving Tucker to handle the mess his ghost battles had caused.

-------------

A knock on the front door pulled Danny from his television show. He got up from the couch and flung it open, revealing an unhappy Tucker and a completely drenched Naomi, her dress clinging to her body and water dripping from her hair onto the floor.

"What happened?" Danny asked, feigning ignorance. Tucker shot him an annoyed look while Naomi just stood there. She looked him straight in the eye and spit out a mouthful of water onto the carpet.

"I got dropped into a fountain by a pair of idiotic dueling ghosts. I am going upstairs to change and I swear if you used the last towel…" she threatened, clomping up the stairs with squelching steps.

"I'm sorry your date didn't go so hot, Tuck," Danny said, silently apologizing for getting Naomi dropped into a pool. Tucker shrugged.

"Don't stress, Danny. It's not like you can help where and when ghosts attack. And you were only trying to keep Necron from hurting her." Danny nodded as Tucker spoke, seeing the truth in his friend's words. When he had finished, he had one more question for his friend.

"So, overall how was the date?"

"I don't know. Up 'till the ghost, everything was perfect. We saw a cool movie, ate a fabulous dinner, and had a great time talking. And that's when things started to go downhill," he said shrugging.

"Again, I'm sorry." Naomi walked back down the stairs just then, now dressed in a fuzzy pink bathrobe and matching slippers, with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Tucker, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" She asked. The boys exchanged a look, then Tucker nodded. Naomi walked out the front door and Tucker followed. They stood on the porch in silence for a few minutes before Tucker got curious.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I had a great time tonight and I wanted to thank you," she said. Tucker raised his eyebrow in disbelief. "All right, it was fun up until the ghost attack. But it was definitely an interesting evening."

"I'm glad. So, do you maybe want to go out again?" He asked hopefully.

"Um, sure," Naomi said, only hesitating slightly.

"So, how 'bout tomorrow at seven? I promise we won't go anywhere near water," he said grinning. Naomi giggled.

"That sounds…great," Naomi smiled widely. _Oh, great, I'm doing a fake smile. Why can't I ever say no?_ She wondered.

"Okay," Tucker said. "I can't wait." Naomi smiled at him and leaned towards him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Tucker," she whispered before going back inside. Tucker stood there for a few moments in shock before heading home. _Oh my gosh, did that really just happen? _He thought. _She kissed me! Danny is gonna be so jealous!_

**----------------------------------------------**

**More reviews, sooner post, you know the drill.**

**I am going to continue dedicating chapters to my reviewers, but I changed my rules a little. Here:**

**#1: first reviewer and each question– 2 points each**

**#2: half right answers – 1 point each**

**#3: I will keep track of reviewer points. If you don't win one chapter, u could win the next one!**

**#4: if you have a chapter dedicated to you, the chapter DIRECTLY after that one cannot be dedicated to you. Example: Ch. 1 is dedicated to u. Ch. 2 cannot be dedicated to u. But Ch. 3 could. Got it?**

**The questions for this chapter are:**

**In "Pirate Radio", what does the acronym P.A.R.T.Y. mean?**

**In "Shades of Gray", where did Valerie's dad work?**

**In "Identity Crisis", what did Danny trade digital collectibles for?**

**Chapter Five is fast approaching, so REVIEW NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN! After a while, crocodile!**


	6. Chapter 5: Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**YESSS! It's finished, it's finished, it's finished, it's finished, it's finished, it's finished….ok sorry for the randomness.**

**Sorry if I kept you guys waiting, just wanted this chapter to be **_**just**_** right because it's a very crucial chapter! I am STILL really, Really, REALLY pleased with all the people that reviewed this story!**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. ****Repeating myself****: I hope you are being honest with your reviews and will try to give constructive criticism and/or positive complements. Blah, blah, blah, old saying, blah, blah. Flames accepted, though not liked.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: EctoPlasmicGoo**

**READ ON (OR BEWARE!)!**

**Chapter 5 – Suspicions**

_A woman stood in front of Naomi with skin as pale and radiant as the moon, eyes that looked like pale lilacs, and midnight-black hair flowing gracefully around her. She wore an outfit reminiscent of the ancient Egyptians, complete with a golden collar and matching bangles on her wrists, along with a bejeweled tiara and a magnificent sapphire necklace. A bright flash of energy shot from the woman's outstretched palm and rushed toward Naomi, who made no effort to move; simply let herself be struck by the attack. She flew backwards in a spiral and slammed into someone who had been standing behind her. She looked up at him but did not see his face before her world went black._

Naomi opened her eyes slowly and she tried to sit up but was immediately bombarded with intense pain that ripped through her body.

It had been more than a week since she had arrived and her life had been going very good, and at the same very bad. She and Tucker had gone on a date every night, each of them more fun than the last, she was becoming much closer friends with Danny and Sam, and she had also managed to turn Dash down for a date again. But she had also had to endure angry looks from Sam every time she talked to Danny, random ghost attacks, and many battle-induced injuries. She was bruised all down her back and legs, her shoulders ached, and her head screamed in pain. Naomi was fairly certain she had sprained her ankle and she was worried that she might also have a concussion from being dropped onto the ground so many times.

Another wave of pain passed over her and she rocked back and forth on the bed until it passed. Then, an even worse feeling came over her, and she stood up and ran down the hallway. She slid on her knees into the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. _Oh god, I hurt all over, everything just hurts. Why me? _She thought, laying her head against the wall beside the toilet. She sat there until the feeling came again and luckily this time she didn't have to run. Her stomach heaved with the passing moments and her body jerked more violently with each wave of nausea.

There was no clock anywhere on the walls of the room, but Naomi didn't need one to know that it was late at night. She could see the dark night outside the window and she suspected that it might even be so late that it was very early morning. In between the heaving spells, she glanced at the watch adorning her wrist. She never took it off, not even to sleep, just in case she woke up without a clock around. She wasn't sure why but she didn't like not knowing the time; she always wanted the information readily waiting at her fingertips. The glowing blue letters of the digital readout blinked, 4:56 AM. She rested her head back on the wall and closed her eyes, waiting for the sick feeling in her stomach to leave.

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"Danny, you'd better hurry up or you'll be late again," Jazz said, passing her little brother as she walked to the refrigerator. Danny ignored her and kept eating his toast. Jazz grabbed a container of grapefruit juice out of the fridge, poured herself a glass, and returned the container to the shelf. She sipped her juice for a few moments, glancing around the kitchen, until she finally turned her attention back to the table.

"Danny, did you hear me?" She asked. Danny sighed but did not look up from his food.

"Yes, I heard you. I'm just ignoring you," he replied.

"You're going to be late if you don't leave soon," she said sitting down across from him at the table. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Then you're gonna be late too. We go to the same school, you know," he pointed out. Jazz shook her head.

"I get to go in late because I have two study halls first today," she said before downing the rest of juice. "What's your excuse?"

"I'm waiting for Naomi," he answered. Jazz went to the sink to wash her glass and spoke to him with her back turned.

"Then you might as well leave now. Naomi isn't going to school today."

"What? Why?" Danny asked in shock. _Why is she staying home? Is something wrong with her?_

"She's staying here because Mom found her at six this morning puking her brains out. Plus, Mom saw a lot of disturbing bruises and thought she could do with a day of rest," Jazz turned back toward her little brother and walked out of the doorway.

_This is my fault. _Danny thought, slumping down in his chair and staring down at his breakfast in dismay. _It's my fault she keeps getting hurt. I keep arriving too late to keep her completely safe from the ghosts. First Technus, then Necron and Skulker and even the Box Ghost have attacked her. They're all searching for this "chosen one" and she keeps getting in the way._ Then another thought hit Danny and he bolted upright in the chair. _What if she's the chosen one? What if that's why Naomi keeps getting attacked?_

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"Guys!" Sam and Tucker turned their heads towards the loud voice and saw Danny running down the hallway towards them, his hair looking un-brushed and his eyes shining frantically.

"Guys!" He yelled, although not a loudly as before. He reached the locker they stood beside and bent over, breathless and sweaty.

"You're cutting it kind of close this morning, aren't you Danny?" Sam asked.

"Haven't we done this already?" Tucker asked, feeling slight déjà vu, but Sam and Danny ignored him.

"So what's up, Danny? You look like you got something on your mind," Sam asked. Danny nodded his head and ran his hand through his jet-black hair.

"Yeah, I do. I was thinking this morning about all these ghosts that keep attacking Naomi and…"

"Hey, where is she?" Tucker interrupted. Danny sighed and continued.

"She's sick. Anyway, all these ghosts--Technus, Skulker, Necron--they were all searching for this 'chosen one' person.

But they keep attacking Naomi," he said.

"So?" Tucker asked.

"Well I've been thinking that maybe Naomi is the chosen one," Danny finished. Tucker gaped at him, but Sam nodded agreement.

"Makes sense to me," she said and Danny turned to Tucker, ignoring the shocked look on his friend's face.

"Tuck, do you think you can do a search on Naomi? You know, birth certificates, old school records, anything you can come up with. And maybe you could do a search on those ghost sites you found about 'the chosen one'," Danny said. Tucker took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No." Danny and Sam looked surprised at his refusal.

"Why not?" They both asked at once.

"I am not going to investigate my girlfriend's private matters. It's her life and we have no right to pry. So don't ask me again." Tucker turned around and stalked away.

"I never thought I'd hear him say the words 'my' and 'girlfriend' in the same sentence, unless there was a 'not' in-between them," Danny said, turning to Sam. She smiled, but only briefly.

"I'll do the search for you, Danny. I may not be as technologically gifted as Tucker, but I'll try," she said, putting a hand on his arm. He looked at her hand, then up into her eyes.

"Thanks, Sam," he said, grinning at her.

-------------

Naomi tossed and turned in her bed, trying desperately to sleep and failing miserably. She wanted so badly to close her eyes and drift off peacefully to sleep, but slumber would not come. _Why do I feel like this? My skin feels so hot and so cold, all at the same time. I feel like I'm burning and like I'm made of ice. This shouldn't be possible but it is. What's happening to me?_

A noise outside of the room snapped Naomi out of her thoughts. She froze and listened carefully. It sounded like a bag being shifted around. She slowly got out of the bed, her feet gently touching the floor so as not to make any noise. Creeping into the hallway, she paused to listen for the noise. It came immediately from Danny's room, almost like she had summoned it.

As she walked toward the room, she thought. _No one is here but me. There shouldn't be any noise in the house, let alone from Danny's room. What is going on?_ She reached his room, put a hand on the door handle, and flung it open.

There was no one in the room, only the mess she had come to expect. But perched precariously on the edge of his bed was a bright blue backpack, stuffed to the brim so much that it couldn't close right. She started to leave when the bag shifted with its weight and made the same noise she had heard before. _So that's what that was. Jeez, I panicked over nothing._ Just as she started to turn around, the bag shifted and fell over off of the bed. Papers spilled onto the floor, as did something much heavier. It rolled on the floor and hit Naomi's feet. She bent over and picked up what looked like a smooth metal cylinder, holding it to her face and gasping. _This is that cylinder thingy that the ghost-boy used to capture Necron and all the ghosts that attacked me in! But, why does Danny have it?_

"Oh my god!"

-------------

"Guys, come on!" Danny called, running up the stairs to his bedroom. Tucker and Sam followed.

"Danny, you shouldn't shout. Naomi's probably trying to sleep," Sam said. Danny ignored her and walked into his room, his friends following right behind. Tucker gave her a startled look.

"I thought you hated Naomi," he said.

"No, I don't. Where'd you get that idea?" She snapped angrily, stepping into Danny's room.

"Clueless. Absolutely clueless." Tucker went after them and walked in on Danny picking up papers and stuffing them into his ghost-research backpack.

"You should really get a file cabinet for all that stuff," Sam said, laughing.

"I'm just gonna empty the thermos into the ghost zone and then we can go to the mall, okay?" He said, searching through the papers and Sam and Tucker nodded. Minutes passed and Danny's searching became more frantic.

"What's wrong, Danny?" Tucker asked. He looked up at his friends.

"I can't find it," he said. Sam crouched down and started searching with him.

"You must just be missing it. It has to be here," she said. "Maybe it rolled under your bed." Tucker was about to comment when he felt a presence at the doorway. He started to turn, but the person spoke first.

"Danny." All three looked at the door and saw Naomi blocking the doorway. She was clad in plaid boxers and a white t-shirt that stretched tight over her feminine features, with her feet bare and toenails painted black. Her black hair was pulled into a ragged ponytail and stray strands clung to her face, wet with the sweat that still dripped down her ashen skin. Her blue eyes were blazing with newfound discovery, but Danny could only focus on the object in her hand.

"What's wrong, Naomi?" He asked nervously. She held up the Fenton thermos and started at it for a moment before gazing back at him, ignoring Tucker and Sam's presence.

"You're the ghost boy."

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**RE: drill. PLEASE REVIEW and I'll try to have the next chapter soon. But I have school and job stuff to deal with so….**

**The questions for this chapter are: **

In "Mystery Meat", what was the name of the book Jazz was reading?

In "Bitter Reunions", what device does Skulker use to trap Danny?

From "My Brother's Keeper", finish this phrase: There's only an I in misery if…?

Chapter Six is in the making, so REVIEW NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!


	7. Chapter 6: The Ghost Boy Unveiled

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**YAHOO! CHAPTER SIX IS READY! THANKS FOR WAITING, patiently, I hope.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: the sleep warrior (who was the only reviewer that answered the questions)**

**And I only got two reviews for the last chapter. Where did you guys go?**

**READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

**Chapter 6 – The Ghost Boy Unveiled**

"You're the ghost boy," Naomi repeated, staring at Danny with curious eyes. Tucker and Sam gulped collectively while Danny stood up, the blue backpack dangling limply in his hands.

"Sam, Tucker, I think I'm gonna have to pass on the mall," he said, his eyes still on Naomi. "You guys should go now. Naomi and I need to talk." His voice sounded hollow, and when they saw his haunted eyes, Tucker and Sam exchanged worried looks.

"Danny, are you sure that…" Sam started to say before he held up a hand to cut her off.

"Guys, trust me. Just go…please," he said, turning toward them and pleading with his eyes. Sam sighed, grabbing Tucker's arm and pulling him toward the door.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," she said walking into the hallway and she turned around to say something else, but Danny quickly crossed the room and closed the door. Sam gaped as the door slammed shut in her face. _How could he just kick us out like that? What if she threatens to expose him? What if she tries to blackmail him into being her ghost slave? We should be in their to help him!_

"I don't like this," Tucker said in a low voice, interrupting Sam's thoughts.

"Why?" She asked, curious as to what he thought about Naomi's discovery.

"Because my very beautiful girlfriend is in a room behind a closed door with my best friend who obviously has a crush on her. It just feels…weird," he said.

"Don't you even care that she found out Danny's secret?" She asked angrily.

"Come on, Sam. You and I both know it was bound to happen. Naomi's very smart and, on top of everything else, she's living with Danny. She was going to figure it out eventually," Tucker explained.

"So out of this whole situation, you're most worried about the fact that Danny might have a crush on Naomi?" Sam asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. _But Danny doesn't like her. He can't possibly like her._

"Yeah, pretty much."_ Can he?_

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Once he had closed the door, Naomi sat down on the bed facing Danny, who stood with his back leaning on the door and his arms crossed against his chest. She played with the thermos sitting in her lap, anxiously waiting for him to say something.

"So how did you figure it out?" Danny asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I found this," Naomi answered, holding up the thermos.

"Okay, but how did you know I was the ghost boy?" _Is he stupid or just slow? _Naomi thought while raising her eyebrows at him.

"I saw the ghost boy using this 'thingy'," she said motioning to the thermos again, "to capture all those ghosts that kept attacking. Then I found it here in your room, and it wasn't really that hard to connect the dots."

"What were you doing in my room?" He asked, his voice thick with suspicion. _Good question! Maybe he's not as thick as he seems!_

"Your backpack fell over and it woke me up. I came to see what caused the noise and this thing," she held up the thermos once again, "hit my feet."

"All right," Danny said, nodding solemnly. "So what are you gonna do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you gonna talk? Are you going to expose me?" He asked, his back tensing up with worry.

"Oh, god no! Everyone's entitled to their privacy, Danny…and to their secrets," Naomi said and Danny felt his shoulders relax.

"Thank you," he said, smiling gratefully at her. She stood up and walked over to him, nearly tripping as she did. It was only then that Danny remembered Naomi was ill and he noticed that her skin was still pale and clammy. She reached him and stretched onto her tiptoes to whisper near his ear.

"At least, I won't tell if you introduce me to that handsome alter-ego of yours," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously and he blushed, gulping loudly. After he recovered, he took a few steps back from her.

"Naomi Cohen," He paused as the familiar ghostly energy traveled up his body. "Meet Danny Phantom."

Naomi stared at him, startled at seeing the transformation up close. Danny's baggy white t-shirt and jeans had been replaced by a form-fitting black jumpsuit, with a sliver letter "D" emblazoned upon his chest. His ebony hair had turned snow white and his beautiful blue eyes had turned a bright glowing green.

"Wow," she said, turned otherwise speechless.

"Do you swear you won't tell anyone?" Danny asked and Naomi nodded.

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

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Four days later, Naomi was sitting in her math class, so bored with the lesson that she was drawing a picture of her teacher, Mr. Andrew Patrick, only half listening to his voice. She roughly sketched his lanky six-foot-tall frame, brown tweed suit jacket, mis-matching gray slacks and bright, shiny black shoes. She shaded in his wild fire-red hair, the dull brown eyes hidden behind square bifocal glasses, and the few freckles that seemed out of place on his thirty-four year-old face.

"Can anyone tell us what the Pythagorean theorem is?" Mr. Patrick asked the class in his slight Irish accent.

"A squared plus B squared equals C squared." The answer shot out of Naomi's mouth before she could even raise her hand or look up.

"That's correct, Miss Cohen. But next time, you should try raising your hand," he said, frowning at her before turning to the board and picking up a piece of chalk. "Now, who knows what…"

Naomi stopped listening as something sharp poked her in the back of her neck. She turned her head to find a small piece of paper being held out to her. She grabbed it and opened it stealthily.

She smiled as she saw Danny's scrawling handwriting. _How did you do that? You were even faster than Tucker!_ Seeing her boyfriend's name, she glanced over at him, sighing as she watched him answering a question. She turned back to the note and started to reply.

_Just lucky I guess. I took geometry last year at my old school. Hey, are we going ghost hunting tonight?_ she wrote back in her own neat cursive and subtly passed the note back to Danny. A few moments later, his hand reached forward, touching her desk and as he pulled back, he left behind the note. She carefully unfolded it.

_What school was that? And of course we're going hunting! I gotta catch all those ghosts that keep attacking you! _She smiled and wrote back: _St. Catherine's Academy for Girls. They're very into advanced math there. You know, you're actually very cute in your ghost outfit._ Naomi paused to re-read what she had written and crossed out the word "cute", replacing it with "cool".

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Danny gulped as he read Naomi's response. S_he thinks I'm cute? She crossed it out, but it's still there. She thinks I'm cute!_ He hastily wrote back and shoved the note at her, but this time Mr. Patrick saw her open it and he walked over to her desk. She glanced up as he towered over her, eyeing the scrap of paper clenched tightly in her fingers.

"Can I help you?" She asked innocently, as if she had no idea what was wrong. Some of the class giggled a bit and Mr. Patrick cleared his throat.

"Is that a note I see?" He asked, pointing at the paper in her hands.

"Depends. How good is your eyesight?" She replied daringly and the whole class looked at her in shock.

"I think you'd better give me that note, Miss Cohen," Mr. Patrick said. His face was turning a bright red, but his voice was surprisingly calm.

"And I don't think that's going to happen," she answered, shaking her head slightly and face flushed an even brighter crimson.

"Then you will read it aloud to the class," he said, his voice getting louder and angry. Naomi didn't answer him; instead she balled up the tiny note, threw it into her mouth, and swallowed it.

"Make me read it now," she said, looking up at the teacher and grinning smugly. Everyone started clapping, except Mr. Patrick, who pointed a shaking finger toward the door.

"Get out! Go to the principal's office right now, Miss Cohen!" He shouted and she stood up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"With pleasure," she said as she walked to the door, flung it open, and slammed it shut behind her.

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Naomi looked around the stark, empty room that was the vice principal's office. She felt uncomfortable with all of the peppy school spirit posters staring down at her in an all-black ensemble. _It's kind of funny._ She thought, chuckling to herself. _No matter how many times you get sent to see the principal, they always pawn you off onto the vice principal._ Just then, a tall, balding man entered the room with an angry glare plastered on his face, but Naomi paid no attention to this, her focus caught on the enormity of his beer-belly. She nearly laughed, but managed to hold it back, not wanting to have to explain how ridiculous he looked.

"Well, you are Miss Naomi Cohen, I presume?" The man said, sitting down at his desk and looking at Naomi.

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"I am Mr. Lancer, Vice Principal here at Casper High. Miss Cohen, do you know why you are here?"

"Yup."

"And why exactly is that?" Lancer asked, staring at her.

"Because Andrew is insane?" She said, shrugging. Lancer's features grew angry, but he kept his voice calm.

"That is Mr. Patrick to you, Miss Cohen. He is a teacher and he is to be respected."

"If you say so, Mr. Lancer."

"I can tell from your tone that you don't believe me. Why don't you believe me, Miss Cohen?" He asked, folding his hands across a stack of papers. She shrugged. "Give me a better answer, Miss Cohen."

"Well, if you want an honest answer…" She said, looking at Mr. Lancer, who nodded. "I think that teachers are just glorified babysitters. They get paid to stand around all day and 'teach' us things that we'll never use in real life. I mean, when am I gonna have a use for William Shakespeare?"

Lancer closed his eyes for a moment, reeling in her disrespect for the Bard, then handed her a photo off his desk.

"Look carefully at that picture, Miss Cohen. That is my sister, who I hardly ever get to see because of the low salary I am paid for 'babysitting'," he said and she looked down at the snapshot of a rather masculine-looking woman. "Now how hard do you think my job is, where I never get to see my family?"

"Um…I don't know how to put this delicately, Mr. Lancer," Naomi said, holding up the picture for him to look at it.

"But, that's _you_ in a dress." Lancer's face flushed briefly, before he cleared his throat and snatched the photo back from her.

"Nevertheless, my job is still much tougher than you would think. I have to try to cram education down the throats of students such as yourself who have no desire to learn," he scolded and she half-shrugged, not agreeing with him, but not arguing either. "Now would be the perfect time to say, 'Gee, I had no idea how difficult being a teacher is.'"

"Mr. Lancer, I'm fourteen. I really don't care."

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"So how long do you have detention for?" Danny asked as they walked home that afternoon. Naomi groaned and shoved him playfully.

"Oh, don't remind me of that. I am not looking forward to a _month_ of detention with Mr. Patrick," she moaned. Tucker was walking behind them and took this moment to stick his head over her shoulder.

"At least Lancer didn't make you serve it with him," he said. Naomi shrieked and jumped, startled by his suddenly close proximity to her.

"Don't do that, Tucker!" She yelled, frowning at him and he stared at her with large, watery eyes. She sighed, stopped walking, and turned to him. "Don't give me that look, Tucker. I _invented_ that look." He kept looking at her with his apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Naomi. I wish you'd forgive me," he pleaded and Naomi sighed.

Unbeknownst to the group, a ghostly figure lurked in the shadows of the houses they passed and had heard Tucker's words.

"Your wish is my command," the figure whispered.

"I forgive you, Tuck." The words had slipped from Naomi's lips before she could think about it. _What is wrong with me? I didn't want to forgive him, but something made me!_ Danny, Sam, and Tucker were staring at Naomi while she thought, worried because she had never called Tucker "Tuck" before.

"Is something wrong, Naomi?" Sam asked and Naomi was about to answer when Danny saw his breath.

"I'm going ghost!" He yelled and they all looked around hurriedly as he transformed. Just then, the ghostly figure that had followed them floated up out of the shadows and Naomi stared, awestruck. The ghost had long flowing hair and was dressed like an ancient Arabian princess, but her bright red eyes destroyed the illusion of beauty.

"Desiree," Sam said disdainfully as Danny began fighting and Naomi turned to her.

"You know her?"

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding. "She's been a constant pain in our side. She's turned Tucker into an evil ghost and made Danny forget we were ever friends."

"Wow."

"Don't worry. Danny always manages to beat her and reverse her magic," Tucker said, putting an arm around her shoulders. Naomi was just about to ask, "What kind of magic?" but suddenly Tucker and Sam were struck by stray ghost energy and collapsed to the ground.

"Sam! Tucker!" Naomi and Danny screamed in unison. Desiree took advantage of the distraction to send Danny hurdling a few feet back in the air and then swooped in to Naomi.

"The chosen one," she whispered in awe, reaching out a hand to touch her. Naomi felt paralyzed, wanting to run but unable to get her feet to move. Desiree's cold, ghostly flesh touched hers and Naomi fell to her knees, screaming so loudly that everyone had to cover their ears. Tucker and Sam jumped to their feet as Danny wrestled Desiree to the ground, reaching for the Fenton thermos. Sam tried to help Naomi stand up, but she brushed herself off and exploded in a fit of rage.

"Why! Why do all these ghosts keep attacking me?" Naomi yelled. Tucker put a hand on her arm to try and comfort her.

"I'm sure there is a reasonable…" Sam started to say.

"I can't wait for reasonable. I wish I knew why these ghosts are attacking me!" She said, not knowing Desiree's power. The ghost smiled and whispered, "Your wish is my command" before she was pulled into the thermos. Sam gasped at her words and Tucker looked onwards as Naomi began to shake under his arm. Danny transformed back and ran to the others. They watched, unsure of what to do, as Naomi collapsed to her knees, shivering and staring at the ground with unfocused eyes. She saw pictures flash before her eyes; images of people and places she had never known, but as she watched, knowledge seeped into her head. When the psychic slideshow stopped, she jumped up without a glance to her friends and started running towards Danny's house. _I've gotta find Mom! She can tell me what I just saw!_

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**More reviews, sooner post, you know the drill.**

**The question setup for this chapter is a bit different, since Danny was revealed: **

**Name as many of Danny Phantom's catchphrases as you can (worth two points each) from "Identity Crisis". Worth 2 points each. First reviewer does NOT get extra points since there are ****9**** possible right answers.**

**Chapter Seven coming soon, so REVIEW NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN! And if you would like to read more awesome stories by darkflame1516 (me), go check out my profile page.**

**I also recommend:**

"The Box Ghost's Revenge" by the sleep warrior

"Way of the Ghost: The First Portal" by Boxghost228

**See you later!**


	8. Chapter 7: A Crying Shame

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**BAD NEWS EVERYBODY! **Danny Phantom is getting canceled. GASP! If you want to help stop it from getting canceled, please sign the petition! Please pass it on to anyone you know that also doesn't want Danny Phantom canceled.

(the url is not accepted by filter for some stupid reason. If u wish the url, please check out my profile, it's on there.)

**I will keep this short. When you are done, see bottom for chap questions and more author notes.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: NO ONE!**

**Only the sleep warrior answered the question (although others did review) and since the sleep warrior was last chap's dedication….**

**Chapter 7 – A Crying Shame**

Danny and Tucker stared in surprise as Naomi ran away from them, heading in the direction of his house.

"I wonder what that was all about?" He ignorantly asked. Sam shot him an angry look that could have melted ice cream.

"She made a wish," Sam said and Danny's eyes went wide with shock.

"She did WHAT?"

"She made a wish. Just before you sucked up Desiree, she said, 'I wish I knew why these ghosts are attacking me'," Sam replied in a bad imitation of Naomi's voice. Danny looked at Tucker, who nodded sadly, confirming his fears.

"I have to go after her," he said, starting to walk away. When they began to follow, he turned back to them. "I have to do this myself. I will meet you guys in the park in a little while."

"Why do you have to talk to her alone?" Sam and Tucker asked angrily at the same time. Danny sighed.

"I just do, all right?" He said as he transformed back into Danny Fenton. "It's my fault she is being harassed by ghosts. The least I can do is not drag any one else into her problems."

"But what about that whole 'chosen one' thing? Did you forget about all that research you wanted me to do?" Sam asked venomously.

"Hey, I thought I told you guys not to pry!" Tucker said, but both of them ignored him.

"I didn't forget about it, Sam. I just…I don't know if it really has anything to do with Naomi." And with that said, he turned and walked away.

_Doesn't have anything to do with her? They keep calling her the chosen one! If she's not involved, then I'm the Queen of England._

"I thought I told you guys not to pry," Tucker repeated, turning to Sam.

"You said that _you_ weren't going to pry. You never said I couldn't," she replied.

"But you hate Naomi," he said.

"I don't hate her," Sam answered. _At least, not yet._ "I'm just suspicious of her."

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Naomi sat on the front steps of the Fenton household, her arms propped up on her knees and her head resting in her hands. She had decided not to bother her mother with the ghost-induced vision. _How would I explain it to her anyway? Hey, Mom, I have a best friend who's a ghost and while he was battling someone today I made a wish to know why ghosts keep attacking me and it came true? If she didn't lock me up, I'd have_ her _committed._ Naomi heard someone approach the steps and felt a rush of air as the being knelt beside her.

"Please don't cry, Naomi," a familiar voice pleaded. She looked up from her hands and found herself staring into Danny's beautiful cerulean blue eyes.

"I'm not crying," she said defiantly.

"Then why are you sitting on my front porch with your head in your hands?" He asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically at her.

"I was thinking," she replied, looking away from the pity she saw in his startling blue eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder and she tensed under his touch.

"What happened back there? It looked liked you were having a seizure or something," he asked, worry coloring his voice. She shrugged her shoulder out from under his grip and remained with her back facing him.

"Why do you care?" She said dejectedly, standing up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down onto the step, facing him.

"What's gotten into you, Naomi? I mean, you haven't been this rude to me since…well, ever! Did I do something?" He asked, staring straight into her eyes. Naomi shook her head. "Then what's wrong?"

"I'm scared," she whispered, looking down so she didn't have to meet his eyes.

"What are you scared of?" He asked and she looked back up at him, staring into his concerned eyes.

"Ghosts." Danny looked at her in surprise for a moment, so she continued. "The ghosts that keep attacking me, the ghosts that are going to attack me, what I saw in that vision Desiree gave me; hell, Danny, I'm just plain scared!"

"Why are you so scared? You know I won't let anything hurt you, right?" He replied and she sighed.

"But they have hurt me, Danny. I have the bruises to prove it," she answered, smiling weakly.

"That's not what I meant," Danny said, putting a hand on her head and stroking it down her face, smoothing down the hair on the right side. "I won't let anything hurt you, Naomi. You just have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Danny," she said, gently grabbing his hand and holding it in hers, looking straight into his eyes.

"Ahem." The voice startled the pair and they jumped, letting go of each other's hand in the process. They looked up at the house and saw Jazz standing in the doorway, her hands folded across her chest and a knowing smile etched onto her face.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, grinning at Naomi and Danny. Danny shook his head frantically while Naomi returned Jazz's smile.

"Nope. You're not interrupting a thing," she said, standing up and starting towards the door before glancing back at Danny. "See you later, Danny."

"You're not coming with me and Sam and Tucker to go ghos…uh, to the mall?" He asked, frazzled by Jazz's appearance._ I nearly said "ghost-hunting" in front of Jazz! What is wrong with me lately?_

"No, I'm kind of tired. I'll see you later when you get back, okay?" Naomi asked. She waited for him to nod his head, and shoved past Jazz when she got the appropriate response. Jazz continued to stand in the doorway, grinning down at her little brother until he couldn't stand to have her staring at him anymore.

"What?" He shouted, angry at the smile on her face which had "I caught you" written all over it.

"Are you sure I didn't interrupt anything?" She asked. Danny glared at her angrily.

"We're just friends, all right?" He said, and without waiting for a reply stormed off to meet Sam and Tucker at the park.

"Clueless. Absolutely clueless," Jazz said, turning to walk back inside, a happy smile on her face.

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Danny quietly opened the front door, cringing as the hinges squeaked a bit. He did not want his parents to find him coming in so late after curfew. He glanced around the living room to make sure his parents weren't there and spotted a surprising figure.

Naomi was curled up on the couch, wearing her tight white t-shirt and plaid boxer-shorts. Her long silky hair flowed down her back and gracefully fell over her stomach. Danny knew she was sleeping when he saw her closed eyes and the regular rise and fall of her chest. He walked over to her and sat down beside her on the couch. He reached up and stroked her hair, enjoying its soft touch. He let his fingers slid onto her cheek and her eyelids twitched, but she remained asleep. Danny sighed. _Why am I doing this? She's Tucker's girlfriend; I can't possibly like her! _He thought, but in his heart he knew that his head was lying. _I…like Naomi. I can't and I shouldn't but I do._ He watched her sleep for a few more minutes and stood up, heading for the stairs. A tear welled up in his eye and slid down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. _I can't have her. So I just have to stop liking her._ But as clueless as everyone thought he was, he still knew that it would not be that easy.

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_Long flowing hair surrounded her pale radiant face, glowing purple eyes flaring with anger but not disturbing the illusion of perfect beauty. She stood in front of Naomi, cackling ominously._

_"You cannot defeat me. My armies will march and both humans and ghosts shall fall into my control. And you, Chosen One, will bring about the defeat of all beings!" Her sapphire pendant flared to life and a bright flash of energy shot from the woman's outstretched palm, rushing toward Naomi._

Naomi sat up rapidly, breathing heavily. She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead to remove some of the cold sweat, and her cheek started tingling for no reason. _I keep having dreams about that strange woman. But this is the first time she's spoken. Maybe it has something to do with Desiree's powers. _Naomi looked around and was confused to find herself on the couch in the living room. _How did I end up here? Oh, I was waiting for Danny to come back!_ She glanced at the watch on her wrist and saw that it was 2:27 AM. _It may be Saturday, but if Danny's not back yet…_ She thought as she got off the couch and stalked to the stairs. She crept up them quietly, hoping not to wake anyone up. Reaching the half-open door of Danny's room, she peered inside. Her gaze fell on Danny's sleeping form and she silently entered his room to get a better look.

The only light in the room came from the moon shining just outside his open window, falling onto Danny's peaceful face. He was lying on his side, his midnight black hair half crushed beneath him, his closed eyelids hiding his beautiful azure eyes, and his mouth opening slightly as he breathed. The blankets curled around him concealed his slender form but Naomi knew it was there. She reached out a tentative hand toward him and gently touched his hair. It was surprisingly soft and she slid her fingers down the side of his head until she touched his cheek. Letting her hand rest there for a moment, she watched his slumbering, peaceful face, but quickly withdrew it as his face twitched. Clutching her wandering hand to her chest, she silently berated herself. _Why am I doing this to myself? _She thought. _I like him, but we can't work. He doesn't feel that way about me and, besides, I'm with Tucker. It wouldn't be right to leave him for best friend, even if Danny _did_ like me. I like Tucker; I'm just not sure if I like him as a friend or not. We've been going out for a little while now and I'm still not sure how I feel about him. So why am I staying with him? Why am I lying to him? It's not right and it's not fair to him. Tomorrow, I have to tell him we aren't working. Because I can't keep lying to Tucker. _She took one last glance at Danny before leaving the room, her eyes welling up with tears. _If I can't be with Tucker, then I can't be with Danny either. It wouldn't be fair to either one of them. _

She walked to Jazz's room, silent tears falling down her face.

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**More reviews, sooner post, you know the drill. I was seriously disappointed with the number of reviews. I have enabled my anonymous review setup, so if you are just too lazy to log in, leave a random one! (but if u hope to win the chapter dedication, leave your correct username)**

**The questions for this chapter are: **

In "Secret Weapons", what was the name of the movie that Danny, Tucker, and Sam went to see in the beginning?

In "Flirting With Disaster", what is Danny's codename"?

In "Micro-Management", what is Dash's grade-point-average revealed to be? (sorry if you haven't seen this one yet, just do your best. I accept guesses!)

**Chapter 8, Coming up! Finally the main plot is gonna come into play! Curious about who that mysterious woman in the prologue and Naomi's dreams was? Well, you're gonna find out soon!**


	9. Chapter 8: Misguided Fears

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**VERY IMPORTANT!** If you like Danny Phantom, then check out the **Sleep Warrior**'s story **"Just My Style"**. It is AWESOME and totally FANTABULOUS!

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: the sleep warrior!**

**Only two people answered the questions…**

**Chapter 8 – Misguided Fears**

Naomi looked at herself in the mirror over Jazz's dresser and sighed deeply. She could hear her friend's voices talking and laughing down in the kitchen, but she still hesitated to join them. _Why can't I just go talk to him? Tucker's not going to yell at me for wanting to break up…at least, I don't think he'll yell. Is it supposed to be this hard? Maybe that's why they call it "breaking up"; because someone is going to get hurt._ With that thought, a picture of Tucker's disappointed face passed before her eyes and she sighed again.

"Nervous?" Jazz asked. Naomi jumped at the sudden noise, whirling around to face Jazz, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, staring at an open book resting in her lap.

"Wh…what would I have to be ner…nervous about?" She replied, cringing as her tongue stumbled over the words. Jazz flipped a page in her book, not even bothering to look up at Naomi.

"Breaking up with Tucker, of course." Naomi's eyes went wide. _How did she know?_

"How did you know?" She asked and Jazz finally looked up at her, meeting Naomi's blue eyes with her own.

"It's obvious. You have been walking around this house for days, sighing constantly, and staring at Danny like he's the forbidden fruit," she explained as Naomi plopped down beside her on the bed. Jazz moved her book to the side and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"But I only just decided to do it last night."

"But you've been thinking about it for awhile, haven't you?" Jazz asked and Naomi nodded her head. "So why don't you just go talk to him?"

"Because I don't want to lose him as a friend," Naomi answered, knowing that Jazz would read the lie in her voice.

"That's not it. You don't really believe you'll stop being friends with Tucker," she said and Naomi shrugged in agreement. "You're worried that Danny doesn't like you back, right?" She gaped at Jazz's words. _How does she know all this? Is she psychic or just gonna make a really good therapist? _Naomi paused and took a long look at Jazz. _Therapist._

"You're right. I don't know how you do it, but you're absolutely right," she replied and Jazz smiled smugly. "But what if he doesn't like me back? Or worse, he does like me back and Tucker and Sam resent me for dumping Tucker for him?" She looked down at the navy blue bedspread as she spoke, twirling a long strand of her hair around her finger. Jazz sighed and grabbed Naomi's chin, forcing the young girl to look at her.

"Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. Do what feels right to you," she said forcefully before letting go of Naomi's face.

"But what if I don't know what feels right?"

"Then let your heart guide you. You like Danny and he likes you. So go for it! Tucker will understand; he's Danny's best friend and he'll want the both of you to be happy no matter what," Jazz replied in a sisterly tone. Naomi pursed her lips in thought for a moment, then wrapped Jazz into a hug.

"Thanks," she whispered before dashing out of the room and down the stairs.

"Damn, I'm good," Jazz said to the empty room.

-------------

Sam watched in disgust as Danny and Tucker choked down large mouthfuls of hamburgers. Tucker picked up the last un-eaten one and held it out to her.

"You sure you don't want some greasy, meaty goodness, Sam?" he asked in teasing tone. Sam shot him an angry look and put her hand up, palm toward the burger as if to push it away.

"I'll pass, thanks." _I wonder where Naomi is? Although, she'd probably join them in this unholy feast._ Sam shuddered at the thought of thousands of slaughtered cows.

"Tuck, just leave her alone," Danny said and his friends stared at him slack-jawed. _Why is he defending me?_ Sam thought._ Normally he just lets the two of us argue over our food choices._

"What's up with you today, Danny? You've been all quiet and distant lately," Sam pointed out and Danny just shrugged. Tucker put down his burger on a plate and stared off to the side.

"Naomi's been the same way for the past few days," he said, then he looked back up at Danny and glared, suspicion glinting angrily in his eyes. "Is there something going on between you two?"

Danny choked on his burger, coughing violently, and sending chunks of half-eaten meat flying across the table. He shook his head wildly.

"No! Absolutely not! How could you even think that?"

"Well, it's obvious you like her. And you two _are_ living in the same house," Tucker answered sadly, looking down at his forgotten meal.

"Tuck, she's your girlfriend and you're my best friend. I could _never_ do that to you," Danny said.

"But that doesn't mean you wouldn't," he replied dejectedly.

"Look at me," Danny pleaded and Tucker obliged him. "There is nothing going on between me and Naomi. I swear it."

Sam stared in shock as the two talked, her head turning back and forth between them. _Oh my god!_ She thought as she saw Danny begin to blush while he spoke. _Danny likes her! Maybe she doesn't like him back, but he _does_ like her. How could he like Naomi?_

"It's just, I love her, Danny. I love Naomi," Tucker said.

"I know you do, Tuck," Danny replied. "I just don't understand why you're accusing me of something you know I'd never do."

"Well, I guess that I…I'm jealous."

"Of what?"

"Of you, Danny. I mean, you have cool ghost powers, you're this awesome hero, and…I've seen the way she looks at you," he said wistfully.

"What are you talking about?" Sam screamed, pulled from her shock by Tucker's words. "Naomi does _not_ like Danny!"

"Sam." Danny's quiet tone made her turn and look at him. "Please, just stay out of this." Sam's eyes got wide, but she held her tongue. _Who does he think he is? And how can he even trust her? I know she's hiding something; how can he not see it?_ She growled lightly, but the boys didn't hear her.

"What do you mean 'the way she looks at me'?" Danny asked, facing Tucker.

"Whenever you're around, she stares at you and the look she gets in her eyes makes me surprised that she doesn't lick her lips," he explained.

"If she liked me that way, then she wouldn't have said 'yes' when you asked her out. She chose you, Tucker."

"It doesn't matter. She may have said yes and I love her but…she doesn't love me back. It'd be better for the both of us if we stopped now, before one of us gets hurt."

-------------

Naomi took a deep breath and placed her hand on the knob of the kitchen door, but quickly pulled it back and held it to her chest. _Just go talk to him!_ She screamed at herself. _I just don't want to hurt him. I do like him, but only as a friend. I know that I need to do this, but that doesn't make it any easier._

She reached her hand out again, fingertips just brushing the handle when she heard her friend's voices on the other side of the door. She froze, not wanting to interrupt, but she heard her name and quietly leaned forward, placing her ear on the door. She could hear them a bit better, but their voices were still muffled and she couldn't catch all of their words.

"…nothing going on between…Naomi…swear it." She thought she heard Danny say. _What does he mean? Who's he talking to?_ She strained to hear more and was graced by Tucker's voice.

"…I love her, Danny. I love Naomi." _He loves me? But, how?_

"I know you do, Tuck…" _No! How can he love me? This makes everything so much harder!_ Naomi heard Sam's voice screech out in protest, but the words were drowned out by the ringing doorbell, which she chose to ignore. _Someone else will get it. I need to hear more._

"…she chose you, Tucker…" _Does this mean I've been right? That Danny doesn't like me? But Jazz sounded so sure…_

"…and I love her…" _No! I…he can't!_

"I can't do this!" She yelled, whirling around and running towards the door. She flung it open, rushing past a very surprised man standing on the steps, but she ignored him and dashed away from the house. _What do I do now?_

-------------

Danny jumped from his chair, knocking it over with a clatter when he heard Naomi's shout. He ran into the living room, letting the kitchen door bang into the wall as it swung open, but he skidded to a halt when he saw the surprised guest in the doorway. Tucker and Sam followed after him, but slammed into his frozen body. Peeking around him they saw a man with silver hair slicked back into a ponytail and matching beard standing just inside the doorway, smiling smugly. He wore a bright white satin shirt underneath a slick silk black suit and red bowtie and a pair of highly polished shoes. His bright blue eyes twinkled sinisterly.

"What are you doing here? In my house?" Danny shouted. The man took a step toward them, causing Danny to take a fighting stance.

"Come now, Daniel. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"We are not friends, Vlad. What do you want?" Danny snarled. Vlad opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a loud gasp.

Patty walked into the room, her hand covering her mouth and her eyes wide with shock. Maddie and Jazz followed her, an angry look on both of their faces.

"Vlad Masters? Is that really you?" Patty asked. Vlad turned to her and Danny was surprised to see the shock on his arch foe's face.

"What a surprise!" He said, stepping closer to Patty. "Never did I expect to see the lovely Patricia Cohen here in Amity Park!"

"You know him?" Danny and Jazz asked simultaneously, turning toward Patty, but they were ignored as she beamed devotedly at the billionaire.

"What a…um…pleasant surprise to see you, Vlad," Maddie said, subtly hinting that he was unwelcome. "What brings you here? To our house?" Danny nearly laughed at her words. _That's almost exactly what I said!_

"And it is quite a pleasure to see you again, Maddie. If it is possible, I'd say that you've grown even more beautiful than the last time I laid my eyes on your fair face," he said sweetly, kissing her hand. She drew it back, trying to keep her revulsion off her face.

"You still didn't answer my question," she said.

"Or mine," Danny angrily pointed out. "Did you come all this way just to bug us?"

"Actually, Daniel, I'm here on…business. And since I was in town, I thought I'd drop by and say hello," Vlad said, oozing charm. Patty gasped again, still staring awe-struck at Vlad.

"I should introduce you to my daughter. Naomi!" She called. Hearing no reply, she shouted her name again. "Where is that child?" _I don't have time for this! I gotta go find Naomi! _Danny thought.

"She…uh…went for a walk. I'll go get her!" Danny volunteered, rushing out the door without waiting for an answer.

-------------

"We've got to go home," Sam said, pulling Tucker to the door and closing it behind them.

Vlad sat down on the couch and crossed his legs, receiving an enraged look from Maddie. Patty shuddered involuntarily, a thrill of excitement rushing though her. _He hasn't changed a bit since the last time I saw him. He is just as debonair and handsome as he always was. _She thought.

"Patricia," he said, grinning at her. "How long has it been?"

"Since college," she replied, moving closer to the couch. _Did he really forget how long it's been?_

"Please, sit down." He gestured to the spot beside him and she sank onto the cushion, her gaze never leaving him.

"I'll just go find Jack," Maddie said, walking into the kitchen.

"And I'll help you." Jazz hurried after her mother. Vlad watched as they left the room, then turned to Patty. _Oh god, we're alone. We've haven't been alone like this since the night before his accident…_

"It really was quite a surprise to see you here, Patricia." His smooth voice interrupted her thoughts and she blushed when her name slid from his mouth.

"N-n-no one has ever called me th-that except you," she stuttered nervously.

"I could call you 'Patty', if that's what you'd prefer." He smiled again and she felt like melting.

"Don't. You're the only one I ever _let _call me that," she replied. He reached up and touched her cheek, making her eyelids flutter. He slid his hand down to her shoulder and brushed her hair away from her neck. _God, how I missed this; his soft fingers touching my skin as if I were a beautiful artwork. He's the only man I ever felt this way around._

"Tell me more about your daughter, Patricia."

-------------

Naomi shuffled her feet on the sidewalk as she walked through Amity Gardens. _What am I gonna do now? I can't go back; not while Tucker is still there. I mean, I have to go back sometime though._ She collapsed onto a bench that lined the walkway, pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them._ But then what am I gonna say to Danny? That I wanted to dump his best friend for him, but then I heard how much Tucker loves and I got cold feet? That I would stay with Tucker, lying to him, just so I don't hurt him? That I know Danny doesn't like me?_ She laid her head against her knees, tear threatening to spill from her eyes._ Oh god, what am I going to do?_

"Naomi?" The voice made her look up and she found Danny standing over her, his eyes filled with concern.

"Danny," she whispered softly and he sat beside her on the bench, turning to face her.

"Are you all right?" He asked, stroking the soft hair on the back of her head. She began to nod, then stopped herself.

"No. I'm not all right," she said, shaking her head and turning away. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Naomi. No more games. Tell what's wrong; tell me what's bothering you! Let me help you," he demanded. She shook her head again in despair.

"You can't."

"Why not?" Danny practically shouted. Silent tears began to slide from her eyes as he stared at her intently, waiting patiently for an answer. Minutes passed before Naomi found her voice.

"Because you can't stop love," she choked through her tears.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his brow rising in confusion.

"You can't stop Tucker from loving me," Naomi said, sobbing even harder.

"And why would I want to do that?" Danny smiled sadly, wiping the water off of her face.

"Because…because…" She stuttered, unable to find the words she wanted. His eyes got wide as he realized what she wanted to say.

"Because you like me?" He prompted and she nodded, crying once again. "Wow. I…I like you too, Naomi. I was just worried you wouldn't like me back." She looked at him in shock for a moment, then a tentative smile crept onto her face.

"You…you like me?" She stuttered and Danny mirrored her nod. "God, we've both been so stupid. We both like each other, but were too afraid of rejection to tell each other."

"Well, I'm not exactly the smartest guy in the world," he said, grinning widely. At the words "smartest guy", Naomi gasped lightly and put a hand to her mouth. _Tucker!_

"Oh my god, what am I going to do about Tucker?" Danny looked at her strangely, puzzled. "How can I tell him that I'm dumping him when he loves me? How can I leave him for his bes…" Naomi trailed off as he put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Shhh. Don't worry about it. I'm sure Tucker will understand. He wants the both of us to be happy, no matter what."

"Huh. That's strange," Naomi replied, recalling her earlier conversation with Jazz.

"What's strange?" He asked.

"Jazz said almost exactly the same thing to me earlier. So you're not as dumb as you think. And I guess you two have something in common besides blood after all."

"Thanks, I guess. But please don't ever say that again," he said. Naomi burst into a fit of giggles and Danny joined her with loud chuckles of his own. They quieted after a few minutes, Naomi holding her sides.

"Wow, I need that. It feels so good to laugh," Danny said, wiping tears of joy from his eyes as Naomi nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Danny?" She asked, staring into the distance, watching a pair of squirrels fight over an acorn.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that strange guy I ran past on the stairs outside your house?" Danny turned rapidly in the seat to face her and she looked over at him, startled.

"Black suit, silver hair, gives off the 'I am evil and need to be stopped" vibe?" He asked. Naomi raised an eyebrow at him, surprised by his sudden anger, but nodded anyway. "That's…Vlad Masters."

"Oh my god! Not him!" She shrieked. Now it was Danny's turn to be surprised.

"You know him?"

"Well, I know _of_ him. My mom has told me so many stories, all 'cause she's had this huge crush on him ever since college."

"Just great," Danny moaned and she giggled again.

"We should probably be going," she said standing up and turning to leave. She slipped on a rock, her foot sliding out from under her and she started to fall backwards. Before she could even cry out, Danny had caught her in his arms, his worried face bending down to her again.

"Are you all right?" He asked and she smiled, their noses almost touching.

"Everything's perfect now." Danny's face turned red and he leaned over farther, brushing his lips against hers. She pushed upward, propelling herself into a passionate kiss. _Everything is definitely perfect now!_

**----------------------------------------------**

**More reviews, sooner post, you know the drill. WHOOT! Longest chap to date! WHOO-HOO!**

**Okay, only two people answered the questions from last chap. Are they too hard? Let's try something easy. NOTE: From now on, my questions will not always be Danny Phantom related, or may not be questions from a specific episode.**

**The questions for this chapter are:**

**What is the REAL first name of the author of this story? (This may be found on my profile…)**

**Name one SPECIFIC book from one of the 3 books series listed on my profile.**

**From "Flirting With Disaster", what is Valerie's favorite fruit and why?**

**Were those easier?**

**Chapter 9 comes served hot once I get a side of reviews! And yes, I am well aware that I am weird.**


	10. Chapter 9: Caught

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**VERY IMPORTANT! If you like Danny and Sam pairings, then check out the Sleep Warrior's story **"Just My Style**" and my oneshot songfic,** "Hero". **They are AWESOME and totally FANTABULOUS!**

**THIS CHAPTER HAPPILY DEDICATED TO: Doodle of the KatanaSisters!**

**YAY! I GOT REVIEWS! (does a weird happy dance)**

**I am really sorry that it took me basically a month to get this chapter up, but it is the longest chapter I've written so far and it is EXTREMELY important to the plot and has a lot of action happening in it. So I am sorry for the lateness of the update, but I figured what better way to reward your patience with a super long chapter? So read on and enjoy!**

**Chapter 9 – Caught**

"Sam, where are we going?" Tucker asked as Sam pulled him down the street with her hand clamped on his arm, frantically looking up and down the road.

"We're looking for Danny."

"Couldn't we have just waited at the house?" Sam sighed and halted, letting go of Tucker's arm and turning to face him.

"He's looking for Naomi. And you know he's gonna find her, cause he always does. Aren't you worried? Or upset? She's _your_ girlfriend, after all," she said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Tucker. He sighed and slightly tilted his head.

"But I'm breaking up with her. So if she and Danny want to be together, then I'm not going to stop them. I'll be glad if they're both happy," he said maturely. Sam gaped at him in shock. _How can he say that? Less than twenty minutes ago, he was declaring his love for Naomi, and now he's saying that he wants Danny to ask her out!_

"How can you say that Tucker? I thought you loved her," she shouted.

"I do. But when you love someone, all you want is for them to be happy, no matter what that might mean for you," he replied. She growled and grabbed his arm again, once more pulling him along as she searched for Danny. _Must I do everything around here?_

-------------

Danny leaned over Naomi, brushing his lips against hers in a soft kiss. His eyes widened in surprise as she pushed her lips harder against his insistently. _Wow. She must really like me. I'm…glad. This is the happiest I've felt in a long while. But why does it still feel…wrong somehow?_

He cautiously pulled back from her face, leaving a very confused Naomi sagging in his arms.

"What's wrong, Danny?" She asked, her eyes filling with concern.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "But we should probably be getting back. I told everyone that you had gone for a walk and that I'd find you."

"Well, you did find me," she replied, giggling. "You never said you'd bring me back." A smile tugged at the corners of Danny's mouth, but he pushed Naomi upwards anyway. She straightened her body at his prodding, standing on her feet once more. Danny headed off towards the entrance, but Naomi grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her.

"Danny, are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" Danny shook his head again.

"No, I'm not mad at you. It's just…I'm confused."

"Confused about what?" She asked softly. He sighed deeply, looking down at his feet.

"I'm confused about why I'm so happy when things are changing again. I told you when you first came here that I hated when things changed and I couldn't control them. But now my whole life is being turned upside-down and I feel happier than I've been in a long time. It feels…wrong somehow," he finished. Naomi began to giggle, causing him to look back up at her, anger and confusion furrowing his brow. "What's so funny?"

"You," she said, smiling at him. "You're being so ridiculous. You said that you are confused about things changing, but then you said that you're as happy as a clam. You don't make much sense sometimes, Danny." He started to speak, but she hushed him.

"I'm not finished yet," she scolded, causing Danny to smile briefly, remembering her saying the exact same thing her first day in his house. "If you're happy, then what could possibly be wrong? Are you not allowed to be happy?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then there is nothing wrong. You _are_ allowed to be happy now and then, you know," she said, beaming at him. Danny found himself returning her infectious grin, but it faded as a horrible thought crossed his mind.

"We don't have to do the girly hug thing, do we?" he asked. She laughed, shaking her head and making her soft tresses fly around her face.

"God, no!" She shouted. "I think we can skip that since you're not a girl, and I avoid public displays of affection."

"Oh, really?" He asked, his eyes filling with mischief. He grabbed Naomi around the waist, holding her against him.

"Danny, what are you doi-" She was cut off as he kissed her again. She closed her eyes as they enjoyed the tingle of their lips pressing together. He felt heat rising on his face, but it felt like it was being drawn from him through his lips. _What's going on-_ His thoughts were interrupted as he felt his breath leave him and travel into Naomi, causing her to shiver beneath his hands. They pulled apart and exchanged a puzzled look.

"What was that?" She asked.

"My ghost sense," he replied, blinking his eyes in confusion.

"Why did it go off now?"

"I have no idea."

"It's probably nothing," she commented. He shook his head worriedly. _What is going on? _He thought, scanning the skies, but he didn't see anything except for a few clouds. _Why _did_ my ghost sense go off? There is no one else around. Unless maybe a ghost is headed this way. But they'd have to be close for it to-_ Danny's thoughts were cut off again as Naomi wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. He smiled gently, returning her embrace.

-------------

"Aww, isn't that sweet? Not!" A grating voice called out from above them. They parted and looked up at the sneering ghost floating in the air. The first thing that Naomi noticed was the specter's fiery blue hair, held in a ponytail by a black elastic. Her pale skin was decorated with scrawling black designs around her blazing green eyes and she wore purple lipstick upon her pouting mouth. Two pairs of purple earrings were attached to her ears, a circle and a triangle on both, and a black choker was strapped around her neck. Form-fitting black leather pants and a matching halter top molded against her body, accented by the ebony glove reaching past her right elbow and the black bracelet gracing her left wrist. A gray belt rested slanted across her waist, and matching combat boots encased her feet. She held a bright purple electric guitar with a gray fingerboard in her hands, the base of it adorned with painted blue flames and various dials. Naomi tore her eyes away from the ghost's glowering gaze and watched Danny's face contort with fury.

"Ember. What an unpleasant surprise," he growled as energy rings slid up and down his body, transforming him into Danny Phantom.

"So glad that you remember me!" Ember replied, her fingers hovering above the guitar strings.

"Who is-" Naomi started to speak, but she stopped abruptly as Danny flew into the air to confront Ember. _There he goes again! _She though crossly.

But her anger quickly melted into awe as she watched Danny and Ember fight. Ember kept strumming her guitar, sending out strangely-shaped sound waves, but Danny dodged them all. Naomi felt her jaw drop slightly as she watched Danny, flying through the air and sending out green energy bolts from his hands. She has seen him fight before, but now that she knew he liked her back, it seemed…special somehow. He was strangely beautiful, the wind blowing his snow-white hair around his face, his mesmerizing green eyes filled with fiery passion.

-------------

Naomi was so caught up in watching Danny that she did not see the ghost that phased up through the ground behind her.

He wore a bright white suit, tailored to fit, and coordinating black leather boots and gloves. He reached a leather-covered hand out and wrapped his fingers around Naomi's arm and pulled on it, grinning with wicked glee. Spinning to face him, her eyes grew wide as she took in his glowing green eyes set into the colorless face and his black warden's hat. Her mouth formed an "O" and she screeched in surprise and terror, but it was only sweet music to his dead ears.

"Scream all you want, girlie," He whispered, leaning down close to her face. "No one's comin' to save you."

-------------

Danny dodged another energy shockwave and fired an ecto-blast at Ember, but his aim was off and it flew past her ear.

"Ha ha, you missed me!" she taunted, causing Danny to roll his eyes at her immaturity. _Geez, what is she? A baby?_

He opened his mouth to spout back a witty remark when a shrill noise reached his ears. Time seemed to slow as he turned, and he looked on in horror as Naomi screamed. His eyes widened as he saw Walker clutching her arm and leaning down by her ear.

"Get away from her!" He bellowed, flying through the air towards them, forgetting all about his battle with the teenaged Kiss imitation. _Don't hurt her!_

-------------

Ember grinned as Danny shot away from her. _That pathetic whelp has forgotten that we're in the middle of a fight! Perhaps I should remind him…_ She took off, flying closely behind him. He slowed as he approached Walker, preparing to fire an ecto-blast, so she swung her guitar forward and hit him in the back of the head, sending him tumbling to the ground and smashing her weapon to bits. _I think that did the trick. _She thought, hovering a few feet above him and holding the handle of her guitar, the only large piece left.

-------------

Danny rapidly stood up and shook his head, trying to clear the daze in it. Pain tore through his skull, and he knew that Ember must have hurt him badly with her latest move. _She's fighting a lot different today. Almost likes she's gained more power somehow. And why is Walker not fighting me too? Normally he attacks almost as viciously as Skulker. Why are so many ghosts after my head?_

He flew back into the air to meet Ember, who was grinning manically at him.

"What are you grinning about? You're about to get your butt kicked," he snapped. _God, please don't let Walker hurt Naomi. Just keep her safe long enough for me to finish off Ember and get over there. Please be safe, Naomi!_

"Your hard head broke my guitar," she replied, managing to pout and grin at the same time. Her smile made Danny uneasy; it was eerie looking. _What is up with her today? She's acting almost…insane. And what's wrong with me? I'm distracted and I feel weak…almost like I've been drained somehow…but by what?_

"So what? I think it makes this a much fairer fight, don't you?" He taunted, angry because he hadn't been able to touch her throughout the whole battle so far. He stared at her for a moment, the stupid grin still on her lips as the world spun a bit. _I guess that blow to the head hurt me more than it should have._

"It probably would…if I couldn't do this," she replied. Then she flexed her wrists and glowing green claws sprouted from her fingers, tearing through the leather on her right hand. They looked about four or five inches long, and deadly sharp.

"Those are new," he said, surprise coloring his voice and showing on his face. Ember grinned wickedly at him again.

"I've gained a lot of new powers since I met she who commands the darkness," she answered cryptically. _What is she talking about? Maybe "she who commands the darkness" is the chosen one they're all talking about? _He broke off his chain of thoughts as Ember rushed toward him, slashing the air viciously with her claws. He barely managed to dodge them as she started in on him again. _This is gonna be harder than I thought._

-------------

Naomi stared at Walker's face, terror still trembling within her, but her scream had died in her throat. _Who is this guy? And why is he here? He isn't attacking me, but why does he think Danny won't save me? _She thought she heard Danny screaming behind her, but she was concentrating too hard on the ghost in front of her to pay much attention to anything else.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked, curiosity conquering her fear.

"I am Walker, warden of the Ghost Zone. All rules must be obeyed, including catching this renegade ghost," he said, glancing up just as Ember whacked Danny in the head with her guitar.

"Uh huh," Naomi replied, not really caring beyond hearing his name. Then she started tugging on her arm, trying to make him release her, but he just gripped her tighter.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere, Chosen One," he said, shaking his head.

"Let go of me! And don't call me that; why do you ghosts keep calling me that?" She shouted angrily, pulling her arm back with even more force. Walker let go and she stumbled backwards, not expecting him to release her. She fell on her butt as Walker bent down to stare straight into her eyes.

"Are you telling me you don't know?" He asked, his jaunty expression fading into a serious glare.

"Know what?" She asked, no longer afraid of him. He hadn't hurt her yet and if he was willing to talk, she might find out what she had been wanting to know every since Desiree's vision had graced her eyes.

"You can't be telling me you don't know of your heritage, your birthright? That you don't even know your true power?" He looked at her skeptically, as if he wasn't sure she was telling the truth.

Naomi studied his expression for a moment, surprised by what she saw. His face was utterly serious and completely devoid of emotion, but his eyes betrayed his calm demeanor. They held fear and it was not because of Naomi. She decided to answer his questions with one of her own, hoping that he would recognize the stray name Desiree's power had granted her mind.

"Who's Melantha?"

-------------

Danny cried out in pain as Ember slashed his arm. The wound glistened with a mix of red blood and green ectoplasm. _I didn't know I could bleed in ghost mode. Maybe that means I could excrete ectoplasm in human form. I hope I don't have to get blood drawn for awhile._

He narrowly missed getting cut again as Ember continued her relentless attack. Zooming around her, he chastised himself for getting distracted. _It seems like ever since my ghost sense went off, I've been getting weaker and unfocused. It's almost like that heat I felt when I kissed Naomi drained me before the fight…but Naomi is human; she couldn't do that…Could she? It's ridiculous…right?_

"Get back here, you bonehead, I'm not through with you yet!" Ember yelled as he fled from her claws. He spotted Naomi sitting in the grass with Walker crouched over her and flew towards them.

"Naomi!" He shouted, causing her to turn at the sound of his voice. Walker mirrored her move and watched as he got closer, but didn't move to attack or defend himself. He simply reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a small remote control, except that it only had a single red button on it. _What is that?_

"No, Walker, I haven't had my fun yet!" Ember shouted from somewhere behind him, but Danny didn't turn to face her. His gaze stayed turned towards the control, curiosity at what it was getting the better of him.

"It is time, Ember. This is taking too long. She'll be angry if we don't hurry," he said as he pressed the button. When nothing happened, Danny turned back to see a pouting Ember floating in the air, her fight with him almost forgotten. He was about to fire at her when a painful howl resounded across the sky and a furry figure slammed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. _What was that?_

He looked up at the body lying on top of him and found himself face-to-face with a werewolf-like creature. He had bright green clothing, torn at the edges, a silver collar shining around his neck, and glowing eyes that seemed to be pleading with Danny to save him.

"Wulf…" He said in shock. The creature whimpered at the mention of his name, but did not move off of Danny, who turned to look at Walker, letting his eyes fill with anger.

"What did you do, Walker?" He demanded furiously, but Walker grinned at the pinned hero.

"I merely regained my control over this beast…after you released him the last time. Now, ghost child, meet your doom," Walker replied, pushing the button again and sending jolts through Wulf's body. The reluctant attacker climbed off of Danny and curled into a ball at his side. Seeing Wulf act like a beaten child filled Danny with rage, and he shot toward Walker with gusto. But just before he reached the warden, Ember phased through the ground in front of him, her claws reared back.

He tried to turn from her, too frazzled to go intangible, but he couldn't move fast enough. Ember thrust her hand forward, a tiny gasp escaping his lips as her claws slammed into his chest, just missing his heart. He gasped again from the sudden pain flooding his body as the edges of his vision started to turn black. The last thing he saw before unconsciousness struck was Ember's face, an expression of smug satisfaction plastered on it.

-------------

"Danny!" Naomi shouted in horror as Ember impaled him and she put a hand to her mouth. He sagged forward, the transformation rings appearing and changing him back to human. Tears welled in her eyes and flowed down her face when she realized that only Ember's claws kept him from crashing to the ground. _Danny…_

Walker was standing over her, his questions and hers momentarily forgotten. A smile stretched across his face and Naomi knew he must be satisfied with himself. He pushed the button on his strange remote again and the hairy creature Danny had called Wulf sprang up at his master's call. He leapt into the air and hovered beside Ember. Long claws similar to hers extended from his fingers and he slashed the air in front of them, opening a glowing green portal. He jumped in it, closely followed by Ember, who dragged the unconscious and now human Danny with her. Then the portal closed and Naomi was left alone with Walker.

He looked down at her, but she just stared at the place where Danny had disappeared, a silent parade of tears streaming down her cheeks.

"See, Chosen One? No one escapes Walker for long," he boasted. Naomi let out a guttural growl that startled both of them. She stood up and faced him, water still flowing from her eyes, but her gaze full of hatred.

"I told you not to call me that." Her face was a dark crimson, not from embarrassment, but from anger, and for a brief moment the fear in Walker's eyes changed to a fear of her, but it quickly went back. _What could a ghost be so deeply afraid of?_ She wondered. _Especially one like Walker._

"And what would you rather have me call you? Your highness?" He scoffed. "She is right; you are alike."

"Who was right?" Naomi asked, curiosity once again defeating her anger. "And my name is Naomi."

"It does not matter," He said, shaking his head. "And I have no more time for useless talk; my _mistress_ summons me." With that, he flew into the air and zoomed off into the distance.

No longer angered, Naomi fell to her knees, weeping in despair. _Danny's been wounded and taken only God knows where and I didn't even learn anything about why, beyond the fact that Walker is scared out of his mind. And from the tone in his voice, he hates his so-called "mistress". But none of that matters; Danny is gone…_

"Danny!" She screamed, pain tugging at her heart. _It's all my fault; if he hadn't been distracted by trying to save me, he never would have gotten injured._ She cried harder, sobbing into her hands, her knees resting in dirt. And just when she thought the day couldn't get any worse, the sky rumbled with thunder and let loose a wave of water that rivaled the tears on her face. _How can this day get any worse?_

"Naomi? What's wrong? And where's Danny?"

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**Re: the drill. WHOOT! Once again, longest chap to date! WHOO-HOO!**

**Definitely a better response with the questions this time around, so I am happy! YAY!**

**NOTE: From now on, my questions will not always be Danny Phantom related, or may not be questions from a specific episode.**

**The questions for this chapter are: **

Valerie's father's name is?

What is the username of my beta-reader? (note: it is mentioned in one of the early chapters).

From "Pirate Radio", what is the name of the cruise line?

**Chapter 10 coming soon to a computer screen near you! Again, well aware that I'm weird. It runs in my family.**


	11. Chapter 10: Gone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**4 reviews. 4 reviews and 51 hits. WHAT IS WRONG! Is my story not good? Does it suck? Are people just being lazy? Come on, feedback, please! The last chap was my longest and my FAVORITE to write so far. Was I wrong to think this was a good idea? (Sigh) All I want is reviews, not just random praise, but serious feedback: what u liked, what u didn't, what needs work, what u think is going on, predictions, ANYTHING! I don't just want praise; praise alone doesn't make my writing better. It makes me feel better and want to write, but it doesn't help me **_**improve**_** my writing. Please, I'm asking nicely here: I want genuine feedback. So please, review honestly. (Note: if u r just being lazy when it comes time to review, I accept anonymous reviews, so u can just do that too)**

THIS CHAPTER DEDICATED TO:**the sleep warrior**, **Silverstagbeauty**, **SilverstarsEbonyskies**, and** Lizzie **for ACTUALLY reviewing!

**Chapter 10 – Gone**

"Sam, let go of me," Tucker demanded as his best friend dragged him down the main pathway of Amity Gardens. Sam didn't seem to hear him, so he pulled his arm back toward his chest, making her release him and fall backwards onto her butt. She jumped up and brushed herself off, rage filling her eyes as she looked at Tucker.

"What did you do that for, Tucker?" She spat angrily.

"You're acting crazy, Sam."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, her face so red and full of anger that Tucker felt like he was staring down an enraged bull. _I don't think I've ever been more scared; ghosts are nothing compared to Sam right now…_

"Because you are," he replied, grabbing her arm.

"Hey!"

"Come here. Look at yourself," he said, pulling her to the edge of the sidewalk and pointing downward at a puddle. She glared at him for a moment before looking downward. Gasping at her reflection, her hand covered her mouth; her face was glowing crimson, her hair flying loose, and her eyes filled with hate.

"But…I don't…I don't understand…" She stuttered, turning back toward Tucker, confusion replacing the anger in her lavender eyes.

"I know why you're acting like this, Sam. You're jealous," he said, struggling very hard to maintain eye contact with her.

"I AM NOT!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, her eyes scrunched shut. _Okay, this conversation just might be hazardous to my health…_Tucker thought, noticing her clenched fists held stiffly by her sides. _But she has to hear this…_

"Yes, you are. You're jealous of Naomi…and the fact that Danny likes her."

"I don't like Danny like that…" She said softly, glancing downward.

"Yes you do! We both know it! In fact, I still don't understand why you won't tell him, but that's your business…" He paused, regarding his friend with curiosity. "Why don't you tell him?"

Sam opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as a horrified scream sounded through the air.

"DANNY!" Sam's eyes grew wide and the anger left them as the shriek reached her ears.

"That sounded like Naomi! Danny must be in trouble!" She shouted. Spinning around, she started to bolt into the park but Tucker grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Sam, he can handle it; now stop avoiding the question. Why won't you tell Danny how you feel?" He asked quietly, hoping she could hear him over the roaring thunder that had begun. The clouds rumbled louder as she stared at the ground, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

"I…I don't know…I don't know what you're talking about. I don't like Danny that way and that's final," she said stubbornly, wrenching free of his grasp. He sighed deeply as she began to walk forward again. _She'll never get it, will she? Why can't either one of them just be honest about their feelings…Man! I'm turning into a chick!_ He thought as he chased after her.

"Danny!" Naomi's voice once again called out their friend's name, this time in a more hopeless and pained tone. The voice was closer and softer than before and Tucker speed up, nearly tripping on Sam's heels.

They dashed onto a side path and saw many scorched trees and bushes surrounding a small meadow. In the middle of the grassy field was Naomi, sinking to her knees and sobbing into her hands. The sky rumbled again and as they approached their distraught friend, the clouds opened and let forth a wave, soaking them in rainwater.

"Naomi? What's wrong? And where's Danny?" Sam asked, kneeling beside her. _Maybe she cares about her more than I thought…_

-------------

"I don't understand why you're so interested in Naomi, Vlad. She…She's just an ordinary fourteen-year-old girl," Patty said, staring at the man sitting beside her on the couch in the Fenton's living room.

"Dear Patricia, I find it quite hard to believe that any daughter of yours could be just ordinary. She must have inherited your beauty and talent, and that would make her far more than average," he said in a slick voice that slid over her like butter. _He's so charming…I'd almost forgotten how much he could affect me…_

"Oh, Vlad, stop. You're going to make me blush," she replied, her face betraying her words and spreading a crimson flush over her cheeks. He reached over and touched her cheek, stroking it gently.

"I'd all but forgotten how easily you blushed," he sighed. "There are some days I wish that things could have turned out different between us…"

She gulped loudly but Vlad didn't seem to hear it; his eyes seemed glazed over, as if he was imagining times long forgotten. _I remember how much…how things were between us…before Jack interfered…_

"Ah, but that chance has long since passed, hasn't it, Patricia?" He asked, snapping from his daze and pulling her from her thoughts.

"I suppose…with your accident and all…" She trailed off, not wanting to dredge up any bad memories for him.

"Well, yes, there was that. But I was referring to your…situation. I mean, you have a lovely daughter now. This must be such a happy time, a growing family for you and your…husband." Patty's eyes went wide when she realized what Vlad had said. She rapidly looked over at him to see his head hanging dejectedly and his eyes avoiding her gaze.

"I'm…uh…I'm not married Vlad," she replied solemnly and he raised his head back up to stare at her in apparent shock.

"But you have a daughter…"

Patty looked down at her lap, blushing brightly.

"Yes, but I never got married."

"So that's why your last name is still Cohen. I had assumed you just refused to change your name…" He mused aloud. "May I ask you a question, dear Patricia?"

She hesitated a moment, afraid of what his question might be, but nodded anyway. _I never kept anything from him back then…So why do I want to lie now? Maybe it's because he seems…different somehow…I'm just being silly, there's nothing different about him…is there?_

"If you loved someone so dearly as to create life with them, why not marry them?" He smiled sadly and it sent shivers down her spine, forcing her to look away. _I bet he doesn't even know the effect he still has on me…Just a smile from him and I feel as giddy as a schoolgirl…_

"He…he left me. He was afraid…afraid of what a child could do to us…He feared that it would change…us and he didn't want that to happen…" Vlad touched her cheek and she broke off, turning her face to look at him. Pity shined in his eyes and she almost couldn't bear it; nobody was allowed to ever feel sorry for her. She barely took note of the darkness lurking behind the sympathy before she grew angry.

"Don't feel sorry for me. I'm not helpless and I'm fine with being alone." She stood up and walked towards the kitchen door. _Maddie's been gone a long while…and I don't really feel like being with Vlad right now…_

"Patricia, wait." She froze less than a foot away from the door and Vlad came up behind her. He leaned down, his breath tickling her neck and causing her to close her eyes as memories flooded her head.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I only wished to find what kept you from marriage…and perhaps the name of anyone who would dare to hurt you," he whispered in her ear, causing her to shudder slightly. She turned back to him, putting a hand to his cheek.

"I keep myself from marriage, Vlad…I don't want marriage right now. And who he was is my business…and I wish that you'd leave the past where it belongs." He grabbed her hand and pulled it from his face, holding it gently in his at their side.

"Of course, dear Patricia…I only hoped that…maybe we could allow _our _past to come back and…haunt us, for lack of a better word," he grinned widely and something about his smile didn't seem right, but Patty couldn't quite put her finger on it. _It must just be my imagination._

-------------

"Naomi? Can you hear me?" Sam asked, touching her shoulder gently. Naomi didn't react, tears still streaming down her pale face.

"Naomi?" Tucker kneeled down beside them and Sam drew back a bit. _Maybe Tucker can calm her down…than the little brat can tell us what happened to Danny!_

"Naomi, what happened?" He asked, pulling her hands away from her eyes to see her red and tear-streaked face. He stroked the wet hair trailing down her back, trying to comfort her. "Naomi?"

"He's…he's gone," she said through her tears.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Sam asked angrily, resisting the urge not to shake Naomi by the shoulders and demanded she spill everything she knew. "Who's gone?"

"Da…Da…Danny," she choked, fresh tears sliding from her eyes. "Danny's…gone. They took him, oh god, they hurt him!" She pulled her hands away from Tucker, one moving to cover her mouth and the other clenching her stomach. Sam glanced over at Tucker to see the same shock she felt reflected in his gaze.

"What do you mean Danny's gone? Where did he go? Who hurt him!" She couldn't resist any longer and grabbed the girl by both shoulders, turning Naomi to look at her. Naomi closed her eyes, tears still sliding from beneath her clench eyelids. "Naomi, talk to me!"

"They took him…oh god, they took him," she mumbled from behind her hand, rocking back and forth on her heels, as if the words took to much strength to say. Sam growled; she was getting tired of the games. _Geez, it's like pulling teeth with a hammer!_

"Who took him Naomi? Who hurt him?"

"I…I don't know…" She shook her head back and forth, her eyes still closed, as if she saw something in her head she'd rather forget.

"What do you mean you don't know! You were right here!" Sam screeched, making Tucker cringe at the high pitch of her voice.

"I don't…know their names. I don't know which ghosts they were," came a whispered reply. Sam sighed, relieved; she had been afraid that Naomi hadn't seen whoever had hurt Danny. _They're ghosts and if she can describe them, Tucker and I will probably know who they are…_

"Well, what did they look like, Naomi?" Sam jumped as Tucker's voice interrupted her thoughts. There were times when they had such similar thoughts that she wondered if he could read minds…like now.

"They…I…I don't…" Sam released her strong grip on the girl's shoulders and stared calmly into her watery blue eyes.

"Naomi, take a deep breath and calm down. Danny can handle himself, at least for awhile, but if you can describe the ghosts, we might be able to find them and help Danny," she said, gently touching her shoulders. Naomi stopped rocking and slowly nodded, taking deep gulps. Sam sighed. _Well, at least she's calmer…maybe we can finally get some info now!_

"There…there were three of them. One, who looked like a reject rock star…"

"Ember," Tucker stated, taking the words out of Sam's mouth. She settled for just nodding at Naomi, prodding her to continue.

"A creepy-looking sheriff…"

"Walker." Tucker once again beat her to the punch.

"And something that looked like a werewolf." Tucker remained silent this time as it dawned on Sam who Naomi was talking about.

"Wulf…but I thought we freed him from Walker's control?" She asked, glancing over at the techno geek, who was shaking his head in disbelief.

"I guess he must have got to Wulf again…"

"I just bet Vlad had something to do with this; it's too big of a coincidence that he shows up just as Danny is attacked and…wait, what actually happened to Danny, Naomi?"

"That rock star girl…Ember…stabbed him," She said, sniffing loudly and wiping away another batch of tears. Tucker and Sam just stood staring speechless at her. "Then that warden guy, Walker, had that werewolf carry him off through some portal. But I don't know where it led to."

"They took him to the Ghost Zone," Tucker replied solemnly. Sam just gaped at the ground, her jaw hanging open in shock. _Danny…_

"Wait…did you say _Vlad _had something to do with this? As in Vlad _Masters_?" Naomi asked, causing Sam to look up and nod. "Why would you think that?"

"Didn't Danny tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Vlad's like him; a half-ghost. Except Vlad's evil and Danny's not," Sam replied, watching with curiosity as Naomi's face contorted into an angry grimace. "Naomi, are you all right?"

The other girl jumped to her feet, ignoring the rain that continued to pound down on them and took off running towards the park entrance. Tucker called after her, and began chasing her, but Sam just remained kneeling on the ground. _Oh my god…Danny…Danny's hurt…and I bet that brat had something to do with it!_

-------------

"How dare you!" Naomi shouted as she flung the door open. Looking around hurriedly, she spotted Vlad and her mother standing by the door to the kitchen. She charged forward, grabbing the edges of Vlad's jacket and holding on tight, her eyes flashing in anger. Her momentum propelled them forward until Vlad's back slammed into the wall and he grunted in pain.

"How dare you," she hissed again, relishing in the surprised look on Vlad's face.

"Naomi! What do you think you're doing? Let him go this instant!" Patty screamed in her ear and tugged on her arm, trying to make her daughter release Vlad, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Patricia, leave her to me. I'm sure she's just upset about something. Why don't you go check on Maddie and Jazz; they've been gone awhile."

"But Naomi-"

"I'll take care of it. Just go Patricia, please," he pleaded and she nodded, turning around and walking through the door of the kitchen. It swung closed behind her and they were alone.

Naomi had barely listened to the conversation; she was too busy glaring at Vlad. _If he had anything to do with Danny's kidnapping…I swear, ghost or not, I'll kill him myself!_

"Well, you must be the lovely Naomi Cohen," he stated, looking down at the young woman who held him pinned against the wall.

"Don't sweet talk me, you Wisconsin dirt bag! What did you do with Danny?"

"Daniel? I haven't done anything to him," he replied, seemingly startled at this information. "What has happened to him?"

"Don't act like you don't know! You sent Ember and Walker after him and now he's hurt and probably been dragged off to some secret hiding place of yours!" She shouted, pushing him harder into the wall. He sighed deeply and put a hand around her left wrist.

"I have done nothing of the sort, dear girl. Now kindly take your hands off of me." When he finished speaking, he twisted her wrist, tugging the fabric from beneath her fingers, causing her to cry out and release her other hand as well. He turned her around and pulled her arm behind her at an odd angle that made her sink to her knees in pain. Although she wasn't sure how, she knew that if he applied the right amount of pressure, he could easily break her wrist.

"Let…me…go," she gasped, a burning ache filling her arm from the strain on her muscles. He bent over to whisper in her ear.

"I am going to ask you one question first. If you give me a satisfactory answer, I'll let you go. If not, I'll snap your wrist like a twig. Understand?" He hissed. She nodded, trying to blink back tears of pain.

"Now, what exactly has happened to Daniel?"

"Ember and Walker attacked him. She stabbed him and they hauled him off to the Ghost Zone when he fainted," she choked out, giving him the most abridged version she could think of. With a deep sigh, he released her wrist. She clasped it firmly in her right hand while he paced around the room, sighing.

"Won't Daniel ever learn?" He asked aloud. Naomi didn't think he was speaking to her, but felt like answering anyway.

"If you're his teacher…I wouldn't count on it." She stood up just as he turned and glared at her.

"Dear child. You, like young Daniel, have much to learn…there are many things I could teach you…once you learn the truth, that is," he said as he sat down on the couch, a sly smile stretched across his face. _Finally, he's said something interesting…and potentially useful!_

"What do you mean? What truth do I have to learn?" She asked, regarding him with suspicious curiosity.

"Why, the truth about yourself, about your heritage."

"Fine, tell me. And while you're at it, tell me who Melantha is!" His eyes widened at the name, but he quickly shook it off and smiled at her.

"Ah, but I cannot tell you yet. You are not ready for the answers I have to give. You must first know your birthright."

"And what exactly _is_ my birthright?"

"That, dear child, is a question that only your mother can answer…"

-------------

Ember and Walker nervously opened the large golden door to the inner chamber. They walked in quiet awe down the gleaming ruby tile path to the beautiful golden jaguar throne where their mistress sat. Her long ebony hair flowed around the throne, framing it like a curtain and making her pale skin seem even more pallid. Violent violet eyes glowed menacingly down at them and they trembled, even though the rest of her body was shrouded in deep shadows.

"Have you accomplished your task?" Her booming voice resounded through the hall. The duo nodded, left speechless by her power.

"What of Daniel?"

"He…he's been acquired, your highness," Ember replied, her voice higher and more tense than usual.

"How fares Naomi?"

"Uh…she's confused, but learning fast," Walker answered while looking down, unable to meet his mistress's gaze.

"And Vladimir?" The ghosts exchanged a frightened look, and gulped loudly.

"He…his location is still unknown, your majesty," Ember said shaking in fear.

"Well, you had better locate him soon or it will be your head!"

"Yes, Melantha."

**----------------------------------------------**

**I am disappointed by the lack of reviews last time, and by the overall lack of feedback. I am of course, not referring to my beta or anyone who has actually given me feedback. Please see ranting above for further details.**

**I am no longer offering questions at this time. They may return soon, but I would rather people review to give opinions then just to get trivia points. My chapters will still contain dedications, but from now on they will be based on people that review and present honest opinions and feedback, or genuine reviews of my story overall, positively or negatively.**

**Chapter 11 will come as soon as I feel I've gotten some real feedback.**


	12. Chapter 11: Desperation

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters from the show

6 reviews and 43 hits. Better. But I'm still not getting a lot of feedback. The random praise _is_ nice, don't get me wrong, but as the sleep warrior put it, the whole reason most people post stories here is to receive feedback. Praise alone doesn't make my writing better. It makes me feel better and want to write, but it doesn't help me _improve_ my writing. Please, I'm asking nicely here: I want genuine feedback.

For serious feedback, u can say anything about: what u liked, what u didn't, what needs work, what u think is going on, predictions, ANYTHING! (Note: if u r just being lazy when it comes time to review, I accept anonymous reviews, so u can just do that too)

For instance, I would've loved feedback on what I called Vlad last chap: Vladimir. I was actually really nervous about that, even though it's only logical that his full name might be Vladimir, but still, I was nervous. And no one mentioned anything! It was good that it wasn't brought up, but also bad. It seemed good cause that means no one wanted to flame me on it, but bad cause I feel like no one noticed. Hmmmm……………………………………..

OH! Quick side note: I've changed the font in the chapter to be UNbold. I finally noticed that it's hard to read like that. I think someone actually mentioned it to me, but I don't know if it was this story or not. Lemme know if it was you please, I'd like to know because my memory sucks!

THIS CHAPTER DEDICATED TO: **SilverstarsEbonyskies **for giving feedback!

**Chapter Eleven – Desperation**

_"You cannot defeat me. My armies will march and both humans and ghosts shall fall into my control. And you, Chosen One, will bring about the defeat of all beings!" Her sapphire pendant flared to life and a bright flash of energy shot from the woman's outstretched palm, rushing toward Naomi. It hit her square in the chest and she spun backwards in a spiral, hitting his_ _legs and making him jump back. She looked up with unfocused eyes_ _into his fierce, angry glare, her eyelids beginning to close as he opened his mouth to speak._

"_Sam was right; we never should've trusted you." Her head hit the ground and he looked away, turning toward the violet-clad beauty standing in front of him…_

Danny jerked awake, panting heavily as he tried to recover from his upsetting dream. _What…What happened? Who was that lady, the one who called Naomi the 'Chosen One'? And why was I so mad at Naomi? _His blurry eyes focused and he realized he had no idea where he was. _What…where am I?_

Glancing around frantically, he tried desperately to figure out what had occurred. He first noticed the floor, a cold, grey stone floor that was caked with a thin layer of dirt and dust. His gaze traveled upward to find matching walls, all exactly the same as the others except for a small wooden door set into the wall across from him. Whether or not the ceiling matched as well would remain a mystery as it was shrouded in shadows. He couldn't even tell how far above his head it was, but it felt high to his heightened senses. He couldn't make out any other details in the dim light of the tiny room, but he could feel a cold draft wafting in from the small barred window that adorned the thick door, the faint light from a torch outside wavering softly.

Only then did he realize that he was in a vertical position, his arms painfully stretched to their limit above his head. He slowly looked up to see his wrists chained together by thick steel manacles, a heavy chain trailing from them past the darkness and towards the hidden ceiling. _Okay, this can't be good…_

He looked down at his feet and saw that they were dangling a few inches above the ground, the heavy chain attached to his wrists being the only thing holding him up. Panic suddenly welled up inside him and he began to struggle violently against the constraining shackles, but without his feet on the ground his efforts were futile. He only succeeded in twisting his body about in mid-air, the dark chains rattling menacingly above him in the darkness. Pain shot through his body as he twisted, causing him to gasp loudly before clamping his jaw shut in an effort to hold back an agonizing scream. _Oh god, what is that pain from? What's going on!_

Memories flashed through his foggy mind, reminding him of the events that had caused him to be in this place. _Naomi lovingly wrapping her arms around his waist…a slow turn accompanied by a shrill scream…agonizing, spreading pain as a guitar was brutally smashed over his head…Wulf curled in a ball at his side…glowing claws ramming into his chest …blood…darkness…_

"Naomi!" He screamed painfully, no longer able to hold his agony inside. _Please be all right! If Walker hurt you at all when I was injured…I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Please be all right Naomi…please… _He prayed silently, clenching his aching eyes shut as tears threatened to leak from their azure depths. _Naomi..._

The pain finally subsided enough that Danny could take the time to look down at himself without huge bursts of pain shooting through his entire body. His bright, clean white tee-shirt had a large red stain surrounding five ragged holes; he knew it had to be the place Ember had stabbed him with her newly acquired claws. It seemed to be dry, but without being able to touch it he couldn't tell. _I hope I'm not still bleeding…maybe I should try to go ghost to heal it, just to be on the safe side._ He glanced up at his restraints questioningly, a small thread of confusion forming in his mind. _I wonder why I can't just slip through these if I'm in the Ghost Zone…_

Taking a deep and slightly painful breath, he concentrated on transforming. The familiar bright rings appeared briefly around his waist, but they quickly disappeared. _What? How could…what is going on here?_

"You probably can't transform right now, so you shouldn't bother wasting your energy. You'll need it more later," A gentle voice said loudly. Danny turned his head towards the door to see it open enough to let a shadowy figure in. The mysterious shape stood in the doorway, framed by a blinding white light.

"Who are you?"

-------------

Naomi sighed lightly as she opened the lid of the washing machine. She had decided to do the household's laundry to help distract her from all the dismal thoughts going through her head, but it wasn't working well. _Why can't I have normal teenage problems, like running out of lip gloss? _She sighed deeply as she remembered the empty gloss container sitting on Jazz's desk upstairs._ Or at least, not having the weird problems _on top_ of the normal ones…I should really remember to pick up some new lip gloss…_

Pulling a handful of wet clothes from the washer, she quickly whipped them into the waiting dryer before they could drip on the ground. As she did, she saw one of Danny's tee-shirts mixed in and tears sprung to her eyes unbidden._ Danny_…

All night long she had been carefully avoiding everyone in the household. She had feinted ignorance earlier as to Danny's whereabouts, and Maddie had called Tucker to see if he knew where Danny was. He'd told her Danny was going to spend the night so they could work on a project for Lancer's class. Maddie had agreed without question, cheerful that her son seemed to finally be taking his schoolwork seriously. _If she only knew the truth…_ Jazz had regarded her quietly all through dinner and Naomi was beginning to suspect she knew more about Danny than she let on. Jazz also seemed to know that Danny wasn't at Tucker's, but she hadn't confronted Naomi about it and she wasn't about to volunteer the information.

She would have been able to endure Jazz's suspicious gaze through dinner if she had not also had to deal with Jack blathering on about how happy he was that Vlad was joining them. _Vlad…_ Even worse then sharing a meal with him was that halfway through the meal the billionaire had caught her eye, then glanced suggestively toward her mother. It had been very disturbing because she knew that Vlad wanted her to confront her mother there and then. _But I couldn't do that, not in front of everyone…_ Naomi had merely frowned at the man before looking down at the dinner she hadn't eaten and idly pushed it around her plate. _I bet Mom thinks I'm sick again since I didn't eat anything…I just couldn't stomach the thought of them going out together…_

And that was another thing that had bothered Naomi. After the way Vlad had hurt her in the living room, it had disturbed Naomi to find out he was taking her mother to a movie after dinner. _I just hope he doesn't try to kiss her…yuck!_

As she turned the dial on the dryer, setting it for an hour cycle, she glanced at the watch on her wrist. It read 8:57 PM. She sighed deeply again. _It's only been a few hours, but it seems like he's been gone a lifetime…oh, god, Danny…he was so close when Ember stabbed him…I could've reached out and touched him, but I didn't do a thing to help him…its all my fault that he was taken…those ghosts would never had been after him if it weren't for me… _A solitary tear slid down her face and she sniffled as she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Naomi? Sweetie, are you all right?" Patty asked, stepping into the laundry room carrying a basket full of clothes. Naomi jumped before whirling around to face her mother, a hand dramatically placed on her chest over her heart.

"Mom, you scared me."

"Sorry, Nammy. I didn't mean to," Patty said, stepping closer to her daughter. Naomi felt the corners of her mouth tug upward at her nickname, even though she hated it. Right now, it made her feel safe to know that her mother was always there when she needed her. _Mom…she's always been there for me, no matter what…Should I talk to her about what's been going on?_

She hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. _I want to tell her…but I don't think I can…_ Instead, she eyed the basket her mother was carrying.

"What's that, Mom?" Patty smiled at her daughter, setting the basket on the floor beside the dryer.

"I figured since you were washing everyone else's clothes, you might wanna take care of yours too," she replied, then let out an almost sighing laugh.

"Thanks, Mom." Putting a hand on Naomi's shoulder, Patty smiled wider and gave her daughter a side hug.

"You're welcome sweetie."

They parted and stood side by side, pointedly glancing away from each other. Naomi kept shifting her weight from foot to foot, looking blankly at the timer dial on the dryer. Patty stared down at her hands, fidgeting uncomfortably. Moments passed until Patty finally gave a deep sigh and turned to the door.

"I'd better go; Vlad is still waiting for me to say goodbye to him." Naomi raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked at her watch to see that the time was 9:04. _Okay, I may not like him, but no one deserves to be kept waiting _this _long…_

"Mom, you got back half an hour ago. Why is he still waiting?" Patty turned back to her daughter with another deep sigh.

"I think that he's going to want a…uh…a goodnight kiss."

Naomi's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped open slightly, revealing her pearl white teeth to her mother.

"What? Why would he expect a k-ki-ki-" Her tongue stumbled over the word, unable to say it. _Eww!_

"Well, we _did_ just go out on a date…kind of," Patty smiled weakly at her daughter. "I should really go say goodnight so that he can go home…" She headed towards the door once more. _It's now or never Naomi…she can help, just tell her!_

"Mom?" Naomi asked, taking a large gulp when her mother twisted to face her.

"What is it, Nammy? I really need to let Vlad go home." _Come on, Naomi, you can do it!_ She coached herself. _No I can't…but I'm going to anyway…_

"Do you…do you believe in half-ghosts?"

**----------------------------------------------**

I am no longer offering trivia questions at this time. They may return soon, but I would rather people review to give opinions then just to get trivia points. I WILL however be presenting questions on items I would like opinions on, so hopefully this will help you give feedback better.

Descriptions. In general, I like to know how good I do with describing things (and how good my beta does helping me edit them). If any or ALL of the descrips are confusing, let me know.

Characters. Sometimes I feel I made characters (not OC) out of character. I would love to know how well I am doing writing thoughts or emotions for them.

Chapter 12 will come as soon as I've gotten some real feedback. And I apologize for the wait on this one, but the site was malfunctioning and I couldn't log in for the past few days.


	13. Chapter 12: Layla

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters from the show

6 reviews and 30 hits. I feel like I should lecture you guys here, but…no. I'm not gonna. If ya'll don't wanna review or don't wanna review in details, fine. I'm gonna write the story for the people who care; the people who REVIEW, and SCREW the rest of ya!

THIS CHAPTER DEDICATED TO: **SilverstarsEbonyskies **once again! (as well as my beta and loyal reviewers, that's kinda implied from the above angry rant)

**Chapter Twelve – Layla**

"Who are you?" He asked, blinking as the harsh light emanating from the doorway reached his sensitive eyes. The sound of small footsteps was quickly followed by the appearance of the person attached to the mysterious voice. The seemingly young woman paused briefly just inside of the doorframe to shut the huge door, its hinges squeaking ominously as the door slowly closed. As she turned back towards him, Danny let his eyes slide over her, taking in every detail. She was quite thin and appeared to be even shorter than him, although he couldn't be sure since he was hanging in mid-air. Her face was youthful; smooth creamy skin and bright chocolate brown eyes that were filled with an intense and intelligent glimmer. Pale pink lips, untouched by any makeup, stretched into a peaceful smile across the bottom of her face. Soft layers of pale brown hair flowed gracefully around her face and brushed the tops of her shoulders, leading Danny's gaze to her outfit.

She was clad in a plain off-white tunic, the milky tone of which nearly blended with her skin. The hem, neckline, and sleeves were trimmed in a strange shimmering silver fabric, and the chest was adorned with an unusual design; a star within a circle, embroidered in the same sparkling silver thread. Her bare legs were the same creamy white color as her face; elegant silver sandals adorning her feet. The pale leather laces traveled halfway to her knee, leaving the impression of snakes slithering upwards. The nails of her feet and hands were painted a shimmering silver that matched the rest of the accents.

Casually strolling towards him in her white and silver splendor, he barely noticed the small beige-colored bowl filled with water and a white rag clutched in her hands. Watching in amazement, he saw the dense shadows surrounding the room swirl and dissipate around her feet with each step she took. She glowed with an ethereal light that seemed to emanate from her very core, like a picture of an ancient goddess. He tensed up in anxiety without thinking, and moaned loudly as spasms of pain shot through him. _That definitely wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done…but then again, I _am_ a C student._

At his outburst, the woman paused in her tracks, her expression growing serious; her brow furrowed in concern and her eyes filled with unexplained worry.

"Are you all right?" The light affectionate voice from earlier rose from her throat as she watched him convulse in pain. _Okay, so she's obviously the person who warned me against using my powers…but why? And why does she care if I'm in pain? Shouldn't she want me to suffer if she captured me? And why did she bring a bowl of water and a rag in here? What is she planning? _The throbbing faded once more and he took a deep breath.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly. "Who are you? What do you want from me? Why do you care that I'm in pain? Where am I and what am I doing here?"

"Whoa, hold up there, sweetie. That's a lot questions you got there. I thought you might be a smart one and I guess I was right," she said, smiling pleasantly at him. _Why did she call me sweetie? Who does she think she is, my mom? _Finishing her walk towards him, she paused right beside his feet and bent over, setting the bowl and rag gently on the ground. Standing up, she took a step back from him and looked him in the eye.

"To answer your questions sweetie, my name is Layla. And I don't want anything from you; my mistress does." At the mention of her mistress, Layla's bright smile faltered momentarily. _That look…it seems almost like she's worried, like she's upset about something…maybe she's scared of this "mistress" of hers…I might be able to use that to escape somehow._

"Who is your mistress?" He demanded, his hands balling into fists above the thick manacles. Layla's expression grew even more serious at his question, the joy sliding from her eyes as her smile remained hidden.

"Her true name has not been spoken in centuries. She is known simply as she who commands the darkness."

Danny gasped in recognition, ignoring the small ache that returned to his body. _That's what Ember said before when we were fighting. She said that was who gave her new and stronger powers…like those claws…Maybe she's that strange woman from my dream…the one that hurt Naomi…I can't let that happen, I have to stop this woman now!_

"Tell me her name! I have to know, now!" He shouted, struggling once more against his bonds. Layla's smile returned, making Danny quiver in anger. "Stop smiling so smugly and tell me her name!"

She looked to the side of the room, chewing on her bottom lip. A curious glint filled her eyes as if she was battling within herself about something.

"Melantha," she spoke in a quiet whisper. "I serve Melantha, she who commands the darkness."

"Melantha? That's a strange name for a ghost…but it's no worse than Layla, I guess," he sneered, growing pleased when she turned back towards him, her smile sliding from her face again. _She seems to like being difficult…but maybe if I get her angry enough, she'll talk without me begging her to…I need to know everything I can if I'm gonna make it out of here and save Naomi…_ Her pale face grew red with rage and she stepped closer to him, her face glaring up at him.

"I am not…a _ghost_." Venom filled her stare and she spit out the last word as if it caused a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Than why do you serve Miss Darkness?" He laughed at his own joke, which just seemed to make her angrier.

"I am her handmaiden. I was born to serve her, as my ancestors did centuries before you were born, _half-breed_!" Her lips pursed into a scowl as she glared at him. _How can she not be a ghost and survive in the Ghost Zone? Wouldn't she just slip through everything?_ The shackles that bound his arms flashed briefly across his mind. _Then again…Maybe she is human, she didn't set off my ghost sense…but I don't even remember if it works in the Ghost Zone…and that's assuming I even _am _in the Ghost Zone._

"Half-breed? What do you mean by that?" _I know I'm half-ghost, but no ones ever called me that before…I mean, I've been called "ghost kid" and "halfa"…but half-breed? That sounds like something you'd say to someone _born _half ghost…which is impossible anyway._

"I mean, you are half-human and half-ghost. An unusual occurrence even in this supernatural world, but not one unheard of." She paused, as if uncertain of how to phrase her next sentence. "You mock me for serving a ghost. But you yourself have one foot in both worlds, yet you belong to neither. Where could you possibly fit in? At least _I_ know my place," she replied, turning her head away from him. He was shocked at how calm she had remained when she had spoken, when he had been sure that he had made her mad…but she did have a point. _I…I…she's right…I don't belong anywhere, not really. I'm not quite human, but I'm not a ghost either. I really don't belong…_

"I-I-" He stuttered, unable to speak. _Now I'm so confused…she's evil…I think…but I feel bad…I think I hurt her feelings…and I care. She kidnapped me, or at least is helping whoever did, but she seems so…so…lost, almost. I kinda feel sorry for her. Maybe I should change the subject before I make it worse…_ "If you're not a ghost, then what are you? Why would a ghost want a human for a servant?"

She turned back towards him with a wavering smile on her lips that seemed to say she appreciated the topic change, but her eyes remained as cold as ice as she stared at him. _Well, just one more person I've managed to piss off lately. First I make Sam mad because I like Naomi, even though she was friends with her first! And now some strange woman…who probably holds my fate in her hands…I am _so_ not having a good week._

"I am not just any ordinary human, I'm a witch," she stated plainly, as if it wasn't a big deal. _A…witch? But witches don't exist, that's ridiculous! _He snorted deeply in the back of his throat, causing her to frown at him again. "What?"

"Witches aren't real, they're just made up. No one really has magical powers." She raised an eyebrow skeptically at him.

"You believe in ghosts but you don't believe in witches?" She asked, tilting her head to the side to regard him, a quiet curiosity replacing the coldness in her eyes. _Actually, when it's put like that…_

"Well, not really. I never really thought about it that much to be honest," he replied, wishing desperately that he could shrug his shoulders. The smile returned in full, spreading even into her eyes, lighting up her whole face. She laughed loudly, putting a hand to her mouth in an effort to quell her giggles. "What's so funny?"

"How can you believe in one type of supernatural force and not another? It's just…funny, that's all." _She is kinda right…I guess it is silly to believe in ghosts and not think that other weird beings exist too…_

It was then that he realized the conversation had gotten way off track, his earlier unanswered questions all but forgotten. _I've got to find a way out of here…maybe she'll even help me, since she doesn't seem to be mad anymore…_

"Um…where am I exactly?" He asked nervously, not wanting to make her angry again. _If she really is a witch, she'd probably turn me into a frog or something if I make her mad again…and I can't risk that, I need to get out of here and make sure Naomi is all right._

"You are in the pyramid of Chione, Melantha's fortress…and prison," she said, smiling when his brow furrowed in confusion at the "prison" comment.

"What do you mean, her fortress and prison?"

"Well, I do not have the time to tell the story in all its proper details, but…Melantha was the ruler of the Ghost Zone centuries ago. However, her brutal methods and cruel treatment of her subjects earned their hatred and contempt. And when she tried to force them to take control of the human realm for her, they…revolted. A group of powerful Ancients imprisoned her within this stronghold so that she could never escape and wreak havoc on the balance of the two worlds. But their magic was recently broken…and here you are." Layla flashed a bright smile at him again before bending down towards the bowl she had brought in earlier. _This "Melantha's" story sounds familiar. Where have I heard of an ancient ghost ruler who was supposed to be imprisoned for eternity, escaping and trying to take control of both worlds? I know that I know this…come on, think, Danny! _Danny looked off to the side, lost in his thoughts. He gasped suddenly as the answer hit him, and Layla looked up at him with worry on her face once again. _Pariah Dark! Melantha's story sounds just like his! It can't be a coincidence…but how can there be more than one ruler at a time?_

"Are you all right? You keep gasping and you have an odd look on your face," she said, the rag from before hanging limp and now wet in her hand as she looked up at him.

"Fine," he replied curtly. "Do you know anything about a ghost named Par-"

"Shh, sweetie." She cut him off with a wave of her hand, causing him to furrow his brow in confusion. "No more questions right now. We've gotten too far away from the whole point of me being here."

"And that was?"

"I thought I said no more questions," She smirked deviously at him and he couldn't help but grin back. "I am Melantha's healer. Though I am truly a witch and can cast spells, my magic is weak and geared more towards helping the injured heal. And Ember gave you a doozy of a cut."

"So what are you gonna do-" He was abruptly cut off again as sparks appeared around Layla's fingertips and the chains holding him up suddenly released him. Slamming into the ground rear-end first, he gasped as pain jolted through him, traveling up his back and into his chest. Wrapping his arms around himself, he tried to hold back the whimper that threatened to escape his throat. _God, I really wish she hadn't done that. It hurts so much…I wonder why it hasn't healed yet? Maybe it has something to do with why I can't go ghost…_

"Did you…_have_…to do that?" He gasped, the pain fading once more as her lips stretched into an apologetic smile.

"Sorry; magic is not always predictable, you know. Sweetie, would you mind moving to that cot over there? I can't help you while you're lying on the floor." As she spoke, the shadows along one wall pulled aside like a curtain to reveal a small cot with a metal frame pushed against the stone. Danny stood up tentatively, keeping one hand against his chest and putting the other against the wall for balance. As he walked over to the cot, his legs shook in protest; they felt weak and atrophied, like they hadn't been used in weeks. He finally reached the bed and collapsed onto the edge, grateful to finally be sitting again.

Sitting very still, he tried not to pant from his efforts as Layla walked over to the cot and sat on the floor beside his legs. _Why did that take so much work? I feel so exhausted and I only walked a few feet… _Glancing down, he noticed his mysterious companion seemed to be nervously chewing on her bottom lip as she stared at the blood marks on his shirt. She stopped suddenly when she caught his eye and smiled worriedly up at him.

"Take your shirt off, please." At this command, Danny suddenly grew very suspicious.

"Why?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. Shaking her head and seemingly holding back a laugh, Layla smiled more sincerely.

"Because I can't bandage your wound though your shirt, silly."

"Oh." He felt a blush rise on his cheeks and Layla let out a surprisingly loud laugh that reminded him strangely of Naomi. _I've heard Naomi laugh like that…When I dared her to put that "kick me" sign on Dash's back, she laughed almost exactly like that…_ Danny pulled his shirt over his head, pausing half-way through as he tried to stop blushing. As he placed it beside him on the bed, he suddenly felt something cold and wet touch his chest. Looking down, he saw Layla dabbing at the drying blood with the rag. He saw with relief that the wound didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, but from the half-wet redness he knew that it had only just stopped bleeding. _Maybe that's why I feel so weak…major blood-loss and all._

Watching in fascination as Layla worked, he saw her dip the rag in water, gently wipe away the blood on his chest and re-wet the rag in a long continuous cycle. But the most interesting thing he noticed was that she kept her hand covered by the cloth; carefully not touching her skin to his. _That's really odd…why is she afraid to touch me?_

Seeing his gaze upon her, she looked up at him again and moved her hand away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his chest was clean of blood and he found himself curious as to how she had moved so fast.

"Wondering why I haven't made physical contact with you?" She asked, her face serious again. _I think she's upset…Every time that she's had that expression on her face so far, she seemed to get upset…_

"Kinda," he replied, shrugging. Her grave demeanor broke as she smiled again, but it was a strangely sad smile.

"My powers radiate off of my skin, giving me, quite literally, a healing touch. It allows me to put whomever I make contact with into a regenerative state." Danny raised an eyebrow at her, not really believing what she said.

"You don't believe me?" She asked, a cocky grin gracing her lips. "Well, perhaps I should show you…"

Her fingertips reached out for him and he tensed up but didn't move from his position. _It's not true. No one can put a person to sleep with their touch, not even a witch…if witches really do exist…_

"Wait!" He said, a thought coming to him of an unanswered question he had. She paused, her hand hovering inches away from him. "Why can't I slip through things if we're in the Ghost Zone?"

"This place is built from human materials. They were brought here from the human world to create this fortress. It was then reinforced with anti-ghost technology to make it impenetrable. Nothing can get in or out unless Melantha wishes it."

"Why would she want to do that?"

"It was the only way she could be certain that her prisoners could not escape, human or otherwise," she replied, another solemn expression adorning her features. "Humans cannot move through materials from their own world, regardless of where those materials reside." _Well, at least that explains that…I think. But I wonder why she warned me not to use my powers…well, it's now or never…_

"Why can't I transform? You said earlier that I couldn't, so I shouldn't waste my energy…"

"Oh, that's because Ember's claws carry a venom of sorts. It…It is almost like it short circuits a ghost's powers, for a little while at least." _That's almost like the Plasmius Maximus that Vlad has…or the Specter Delflector Dad made…_ "Enough questions. You need to rest now."

He began to protest, but her fingers finally made contact with his chest and he was stunned into silence. A gentle numbness began where she was touching him a few moments later and started spreading outward. His mind grew cloudy and his eyes began to feel very heavy. He slumped over onto his side, his head connecting with a pillow he hadn't seen before. Layla pulled her hand back as he started to close his eyes. The last thing he saw was very smiling face through a strange veil of light…

"Sweet dreams," she whispered. _Wow…I didn't believe she could really…_

Then his world faded to black as he slipped into unconsciousness.

**----------------------------------------------**

No more trivia, blah blah, return maybe. Points of needed feedback:

As per my previous chap, descriptions and characterizations.

Opinions of Layla, like her hate her, whatever!

Does anyone recognize the symbol on Layla's tunic? It's actually associated with a real religion, and if my sister saw I was using it for someone who _really_ does magic, she'd kill me. I'll say it next chap if you want, and no, it's not Satanist.

OH!** To - SilverstarsEbonyskies:** obviously I couldn't get into Naomi's head in this chapter (since she wasn't it in) and in the rest of the fic she doesn't really have time for reminiscing, but I have good news! I switched my car insurance…no, just kidding. The good news really is…I'm making this the first fic in a series! The rest will prolly only be around ten chaps each, but the good news is, I already have 16 others planned! WHOOT! More information to follow…

Chapter 13…you wish! If you are reading this and haven't reviewed EVER (which I know some people are, they have this story on alerts and/or favorites and have NEVER bothered to review) (and yes, I actually checked on this), then I think you are very rude. You show no respect for me or this story because you do not even have the decency to tell me what you think. You should all rot for ever in eternal fire!

**_Loyal_** reviewers can view Chapter 13 at my earliest convenience. Thank you and have a nice day!


	14. Chapter 13: Dreams and Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters from the show

I apologize for nothing. I know that some people would wait forever for good writing (as would I). So if you're mad that you've been kept waiting, that's fine. The point is to review anyway, even to tell me you're mad that you had to wait for my wonderful writing.

Praise – make me happy.

Genuine feedback in a review – makes me WRITE!

I will not beg. If you don't like my writing, don't read. But don't put me on your alerts or your favs if you like my story and aren't going to follow common curtsy and REVIEW!

I find it very rude when people do so. It means you like my story enough to read but not enough to tell me what you think. It's like going to the premiere of a movie and not telling the director what you thought of it afterwards. So…

THIS CHAPTER DEDICATED TO: **ALL THOSE THAT HAVE REVIEWED EVERY LAST CHAPTER! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! IT'S _YOUR_ REVIEWS THAT KEEP ME WRITING, NOT THE LEECHES READING WITHOUT REGARD TO MY FEELINGS OR TO HONOR AND COMMON CURTISY.**

**Chapter 13 - Dreams and Nightmares**

"Half…ghosts?" Patty's eyes widened at her daughter's question.

"I know, it's crazy…" Naomi shuffled her feet awkwardly and looked away from her mother's startled gaze, staring down at her hands. "Just for-"

"Its funny…" Patty mused thoughtfully, folding her arms against her chest and leaning back against the doorframe.

"What's funny?" Naomi looked up from her hands and over at her mother, wondering what her mother was thinking.

"It's funny that you would mention that…"

"Why?" A playful smirk grew on her mother's face.

"I didn't think you believed in ghosts," Patty replied, grinning teasingly at her daughter. Naomi sighed deeply. _Guess now's the time to spill my biggest, darkest secret_

"Okay, okay, fine. I do believe in ghosts. I mean, come on! My mother is Patty Cohen, the 'World's Greatest Ghost Hunter'," she said sarcastically. "How could I _not _believe in the paranormal?"

"Point taken." Her mother laughed a bit, which caused Naomi's solemn expression to crack into a brief smile. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, it dawned on her that her mother still hadn't answered her question.

"Mom?" Their peaceful quiet broken, Patty looked over at her daughter expectantly.

"What, Nammy?" She asked.

"Why is it funny that I would mention half-ghosts?" Patty sighed and walked slowly over to the chair by the ironing board. She collapsed into it and stared at her daughter, who hopped into a sitting position on top of the dryer.

"I just never thought you'd figure it out," The elder woman said, another deep sigh escaping her lips. _Why is she so cryptic? Its like pulling teeth with a hammer! _Naomi thought, matching her mother's heavy sigh with her own. "I never imagined you'd even believe…"

"Believe what? That half-ghosts exist?" _Does she know? She can't possibly know Danny's secret…Can she? I mean, Vlad could've spilled the beans…Plus, we've been living here for over a month and my mother isn't stupid… _"Mom, Dan-" She started to speak up, but her mother didn't hear her brief interruption and continued.

"I never thought that you would learn you were half-ghost," Patty said, looking straight into her daughter's shocked and widened eyes. Naomi stared at Patty in amazement, stuttering nervously as she tried to find the words to express herself.

"WHAT!"

-------------

_Danny breathed heavily, one hand resting on his knee and the other against the alley wall to help him keep his balance. Voices called out from behind him and he jumped in surprise. He turned his head back just long enough to see their colored jumpsuits before he dashed out of the alley, running down the strangely deserted streets of Amity. In the distance, he could hear a car motor starting up and knew it was the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle. Danny pushed himself to run faster, his muscles burning, his lungs screaming for oxygen. The GAV barreled around a corner and began pursuing him, rapidly gaining as the weapons fired up. He knew he couldn't run fast enough to escape it, but he kept pushing himself, sweat beading on his brow._

"_I can't let them catch me…" His voice left his throat in only a whisper, but the sound seemed to echo off the walls of the abandoned buildings until it surrounded him in a piercing echo._

"_Can't let them…I can't let them catch me…Catch me, catch me, catch me…"_

_Suddenly the sound of the GAV's motor disappeared. He looked behind him only to see that it was gone._

"_What?" He asked in shock, not caring that no one was around to answer him. "What's going on?" His voice was only a quiet whisper, yet it carried more weight than his earlier screams of terror had managed._

_Suddenly, the abandoned city melted away and he found himself floating in a black void. The darkness was total; he felt blind, unable to even see his hand in front of his own face. He turned around in the abyss, trying to see anything at all when a faint blue light caught his gaze. As he stared, it grew larger and he felt himself slowly being drawn towards it. He felt like he was swimming, the black air around him suddenly thicker than it should be. Danny stretched his arms out to the light hungrily, a sudden need to reach it consuming all conscious thought. The blue glow enveloped him, making his limbs feel weightless and he closed his eyes at the sudden warmth surrounding him._

_The heat faded away and he opened his eyes, blinking in surprise as he found himself hovering near the ceiling of Amity Park's town hall. Startled faces stared up at him from the crowd and a young woman floated near him, hissing at him, saying something about it not being the time for "this". He let his eyes fall over the girl's form, taking in her odd white hair and strangely crimson eyes._

_A prickling sensation in his stomach caused him to ignore the shouting girl and look downward at his chest to see a trickle of green ectoplasm mixed with flecks of red blood coming from a medium-sized wound on the side of his body. He had only moments to wonder why he was bleeding before the sound of a heavy door being thrown open made him turn sharply._

_His parents burst into the hall, his mother swinging ecto-blasters and his father carrying a strange cannon-shaped weapon over one shoulder. The crowd rose from their seats at their sudden entrance with gasps and muffled conversation._

"_Eat Ecto-Acid, ghosts!" Jack cried out as Maddie started to fire her blasters at the girl. Jack slowly took aim at Danny, who froze in mid-air, oddly paralyzed with fear as he watch his father's finger pulled back on the trigger._

"_Look out!" Jack called out to the citizens of Amity as a strange blast of vibrant orange goo shot from the cannon. It landed on Danny, causing him to groan in disgust as it dripped down his body. All eyes were on him for a few moments, Jack and Maddie's expressions clearly saying they didn't believe their concoction was working. But then a gasp left his mouth as painful fire sprang up in his chest. The goo started to burn his skin and he cried out in shock and agony. The girl floating near him called out, but he couldn't make out the words through the blinding pain. His eyes grew heavy and he felt himself falling to the ground, the girl's shouts of his name suddenly clear. He could hear Maddie and Jack's cheers of joy and the town's murmured whisperings._

_As he lay on the floor, he knew his parents were advancing on him with a thermos, even though he couldn't see it. Then he gasped again, as the blue rings of his transformation appeared around his waist. He tried to fight them back, but he was to weak to even care. They slid up and down his body, leaving Danny Fenton lying helpless underneath the thin layer of orange liquid. He heard loud gasping coming from the crowd and an outcry of disbelief from his parents. The thought of words floated away from him, his vision unseeing. The town hall and the citizens were not seen before his eyes, only the image of the floating girl crying and screaming above him as she floated down towards him._

_Landing next to him, she screamed at Maddie and Jack, who looked frozen and horrified as they stared at their son. The girl knelt beside him and in his mind she suddenly looked like Naomi. She put her arms around him, hissing in pain as the orange goop made contact with her skin. But as much as the pain was evident on her face, she cradled him in her arms, soft whispers reaching his ears as he started to close his eyes._

"_Danny…Danny, don't…DANNY!"_

Danny jerked awake as a silk-encased hand slapped him across the face, accompanied by a soft yet almost shouting voice.

"Danny, wake up!"

-------------

"I-I-I'm…what!" Naomi stuttered in amazement, holding her head in her hands and breathing rapidly. _How…how can I be? I didn't have an accident like Danny's…at least not that I remember…I've never had any weird, unexplainable ghost powers randomly showing up, like Danny said he had…_

"Half-ghost," Patty said matter-of-factly. _How can she say it like that, so…so…so…confidently? How can she not be upset, or shocked, or-or…emotional at all!_

"I-I can't…I can't be half a ghost, I haven't died!" _Wait, does that mean Danny and Vlad half-died to become the way they are? _Naomi shook her head in disbelief, putting her mind back on the problem at hand. _That's not the issue right now…_

"Nammy, it's all right. I expected you'd be a bit…upset over this…" Patty replied, walking over to her daughter and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Naomi looked up angrily, a fire raging behind her cerulean eyes.

"Upset? Upset! I am _freaking _out right now! Believe me, I'm _beyond_ upset…" She leapt off the dryer, away from her mother's touch, and began pacing around the room, ranting to the air. "I cannot be half a ghost…It's not possible…I haven't half-died…I've never even had a near-death experience…" _Well, unless you count that time when I was 5 and panicked that the roller coaster was gonna fly off the tracks at Disney Land…_

"Nammy, calm down. Just park it," Patty said, hopping up onto the washer and patting the top of the dryer beside her, "and I'll try and explain."

Naomi sighed deeply, but stopped pacing and hopped back onto the dryer, pulling her legs up and sitting cross-legged, her shoulders and back held stiffly as if she were afraid of what she was going to hear.

"Well?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the metal dryer impatiently.

"Well…" Patty rubbed the back of her neck nervously and Naomi suddenly felt like she was watching a scared teenager confess to not doing her homework instead of her mother confessing about some family secret. "I should probably start with…your father. I know I told that he left when he found out I was pregnant, and that _is_ true but it wasn't the only reason." She paused momentarily, chewing her bottom lip nervously before continuing. The action reminded Naomi so strongly of herself when she got nervous that her eyes widened a bit. "He was a ghost, and he told me of legends the ghosts had…about a child of both worlds. It frightened him, I guess."

"Wait," Naomi interrupted, confused. "You're a ghost hunter. How could my father be a _ghost_?" Patty smiled sheepishly, a small blush rising to her cheeks.

"Well, I came across him one day, in mid-November of my last year at college. I was fighting some random ghost that was attacking our cafeteria when he just kind of…appeared. It was rather odd, because he just floated above the lunch counter, almost observing the fight but not joining in. I was surprised, but as soon as the other ghost left, I went after him. But instead of fighting back, he just smiled charmingly and said that it was his pleasure to meet me. His grin made me think that he knew something I didn't and then he was gone, just as suddenly as he had appeared."

Patty leaned back against the wall and let her legs dangle off the edge of the washing machine. Naomi was suddenly surprised by how youthful her mother looked, as if talking about the past truly made Patty younger.

"I kept coming across him after that first day. He would appear to watch me fight other ghosts, say hello afterwards, and then just disappear. It bothered me a lot that 'hello' was all he would ever say to me, but then one day he struck up a conversation. I don't even remember what we talked about, but I do remember being so surprised by his intelligence that I didn't even think about attacking him. I started looking around for him after fights, because I enjoyed our talks. Then, after one particularly difficult fight in January, he didn't show up. I was disappointed; almost crushed. But that night I was alone in the lab I shared with Maddie, and he came to see me. Only the light over my lab table was on and he hid in the shadows so that I didn't see him right away. I must have leapt at least a foot into the air when he finally said hello. Then I spun around to find him floating behind me, holding the vial with the chemical I needed at that exact moment. I was startled, and tried to start a conversation with him to cover my surprise, but he just handed the vial to me without a word. He helped me that night in the lab, and when we weren't conversing, there was a very comfortable silence between us."

Naomi shifted her position to mirror her mother's, except her mother was staring straight into the air, recalling the events of her past while Naomi was watching her mother in quiet awe. _Wow…this is amazing. I can't believe my mother, ghost hunter extraordinaire, fell for a ghost!_

"I'll never forget the next bit. The sun finally started to come up and with it, the realization that I'd spent all night working in my lab beside a ghost. He told me he had to leave, but before he disappeared like always, he bent over and kissed me softly on my lips. I was so surprised that I stayed frozen long after he'd left. Maddie and Jack found me like that a few hours later and immediately thought I'd been attacked by ghosts." Patty chuckled, seemingly remembering something that had happened afterwards, but Naomi could only guess. _Oh my god…my mother fell in love with a ghost!_

Patty turned toward her daughter, finally seeming to remember Naomi was in the room. She was blushing deeply and Naomi knew she must be completely embarrassed.

"Go on, Mom. What happened next?" Surprise at the calm, rapt attention her daughter was suddenly giving her showed plainly on Patty's face, but she sighed lightly and continued.

"After that night, he seemed different around me. Before, his gaze was always distant, as if he was concentrating on something else, but the next time we met, he was unguarded. He even let me watch him shift to his other form. I was surprised when it first happened, but he explained the shifts in his appearance were natural, just something that had happened when he died. I was so happy that he felt comfortable enough around me to show me his other self…it was then that I realized I was falling for him. I thought I was going crazy; soon-to-be world famous ghost hunter Patricia Cohen in love with a ghost?" She paused slightly and chuckled before continuing on. "It was unthinkable…which is part of the reason I never told anyone about him before."

"Mom…that's amazing…" Naomi breathed, caught up in the love story. "When did you realize that he loved you back?" Patty smiled, clearly happy at the memory Naomi's words brought forth.

"It was February; Valentine's Day. I'd spent the whole day watching couples cuddle and exchange gifts, including Jack and Maddie. I was upset, because I knew that I would never be able to do that with a ghost…But he surprised me. It was almost midnight when he showed up in my dorm room. Maddie was working in the lab that night and I must have jumped a mile when I heard his quiet voice. I had been sitting in bed, reading for class the next day, but at the sound of his voice I immediately jumped off of my bed and hugged him. I was surprised to find I could actually touch him, but he just embraced me back. Without saying anything, he handed me a bright red rose that seemed to appear out of thin air. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me, and I grinned so hard I thought my face might crack. He matched my smile with his own, and then he kissed me. It was deeper and more passionate than our first kiss had been, and I loved every minute of it."

"That is so cool!" Naomi squealed happily. _I cannot believe it! My mother, kissing a ghost! _Patty blushed deeply, rubbing the back of her neck nervously again and a thought dawned on Naomi. "Uh…if he was a ghost, then how did you…you know…I mean, ghosts are solid, right?"

Patty smiled at her daughter, who now blushed as deep as her.

"Ghosts can choose whether or not to be tangible. If they want to touch things or people, they can. And if they want to pass through walls and things, they can. I remember asking him that too." A few moments of comfortable silence passed between them before Naomi spoke up.

"So…I'm really half-ghost?"

"…yeah." Naomi considered it carefully for a moment. Her mind was still boggled by the idea, but it at least explained what Vlad meant by knowing her birthright. _Oh god, he _knew_ I'm half-ghost…but how?_

"Well…" Naomi started uncertainly. "I guess there's worse things to be." Patty grinned fondly at her daughter and Naomi matched her smile with a Cheshire Cat grin of her own. _I love Mom…I can't believe that this kind of "love story" could ever happen in real life…Maybe I'm dreaming…It's like something out of one of those sappy movie on "Lifetime"…I mean, half a ghost? Me? Who would've thought…_And suddenly the reason she had started the whole conversation came rushing back to her. _Danny…It's great to finally learn where…and who I come from, but it hasn't really helped my current problem…what am I going to do about him?_

-------------

Naomi sat in the dark kitchen, nervously dialing a number into the phone. It was quite late, and everyone else in the house had gone to bed. Ever since the talk she'd had with Patty, her mind had been racing and she had finally concocted an idea about how to save Danny.

She knew it was late to be calling Tucker and Sam, but she didn't care. As she held the ringing phone up to her ear, she just prayed their parents didn't answer.

"_Hello?" _She cringed at the weary tone of her friend, knowing she had woken him, but then she continued with her plan anyway.

"Hi, Tucker. Sorry to bother you so late and all, but…I think I know how to find Danny."

**----------------------------------------------**

Points of needed feedback:

#1: ANYTHING! Any kind of feedback is NEEDED! I'm very unsure of this story, and of the potential for the NUMEROUS fics to follow…

Chapter 14 – If you get lucky. I plan to update ONLY once I get 10 reviews for this chapter…so those of you who want to see updates, pray that others will review as well as yourselves.


	15. Chapter 14: Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Okay, I don't think I can apologize enough…but if anyone beside my beta reads the updates on my profile, it explains why I didn't post this sooner. So I'm not gonna repeat myself here, if you wanna know what happened, go read my profile…**

**Chapter 14 – Revelations**

"Danny, wake up!"

The silken hand moved to smack him again, but Danny reached up and grabbed the person's wrist before it could make contact.

"Oh thank goodness, you're awake," came Layla's gentle voice again, this time fraught with worry. Groaning, Danny let go of her wrist and rolled onto his side, facing her and drawing his knees up to his chest. His chest ached painfully and on top of that, his head felt very heavy and he could barely keep his eyes open. Layla glanced at him, her head held at an awkward position, being suspiciously careful to keep the left side of her face hidden.

"What did you do to me? I feel like I've been drugged or something…" His arms and legs felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds, and his mind was still cloudy, making him see things through a fog.

A light blush appeared on what he could see of Layla's face, which Danny suspected was a rare event for her.

"I…I used too much power when I healed your wounds. I was merely supposed to heal you, not lull you into sleep…" Danny grew deeply confused by her words.

"But you purposefully made me sleep; you wanted me to believe that you were a witch."

"Yes and you needed the rest but…" As Layla turned to look at him a gasp escaped Danny's mouth. The left side of her face from forehead to chin was dotted with bruises of varying colors; the center was a deep purplish-black, surrounded by a reddish-brown color and finally fading into a sickly yellow-green. It looked as if she'd been brutally beaten and Danny wondered briefly who would've done such a thing.

"What happened to you?" He said, ignoring the heaviness of his limbs and sitting up to get a better look at her face. She smiled lightly, but her lips only twisted into a half-grimace, leading Danny to believe that some of the muscles in her jaw must be injured as well.

"My mistress happened to me," she stated calmly, as if it were a common occurrence.

"Melantha did this?" Danny asked, shock evident in his voice. _I didn't know a ghost could do so much damage without ecto-blasts or stuff…even more reason to avoid her if I can… _Layla nodded, closing her eyes and whimpering slightly. He reached a hand out to her chin, using his fingertips to slowly and gently turn her left side towards him more.

The bruises didn't stop at her cheek, instead trailing the sickly-green color down onto her neck and shoulder. _This looks almost like she got hit with a brick wall or something…_ He glanced down at her outfit and vaguely realized that it looked different, but before he could dwell on it his fingers started to feel shockingly numb. Drawing his hand back with a whimper of his own, he rubbed the fingers with his other hand, feeling as though they were frostbitten.

Layla opened her eyes again, looking at him with a new emotion in her eyes; gratitude.

"I did warn you before; prolonged physical contact with my bare skin will put you to sleep. That's why I'm wearing these," she said, holding up her gloved hands. "But we really don't have time for this; I woke you for a reason." However, Danny was not so easily distracted from Layla's injuries.

"How did she do this? Why?" She sighed, obviously frustrated by his questions.

"She smacked me across the face…which on its own wouldn't have left much of a mark, but then I landed against the wall," Her eyes closed again, hiding her dark brown irises from him. "She hit me because I put you to sleep. I was meant only to heal you enough so that you could keep a clear head and not be overwhelmed with pain. I disobeyed her, and I was punished for it."

"But why? How could she do something like this to her own servant?" Danny questioned, desperately trying to understand Melantha's actions; this ruthless treatment of one's own people was beyond him. Layla's eyes opened again, a sudden fear filling them.

"Because…she is insane."

"Insane?"

"Insane, deluded, psychotic; take your pick. Her mind has deteriorated into pure lunacy…" She said almost mournfully, staring down at her lap as if she were saddened by her mistress's state.

"How is she insane?" Danny asked, confusion and curiosity furrowing his brow. Layla looked up at him, the barest hint of tears filling the corners of her eyes.

"She thinks she is the Chosen One. She believes…that she is a goddess."

_Darn it, Melantha isn't the Chosen One…but then, who is? _Danny thought hard for a moment._ Was I right the first time, is it really Naomi? _Suddenly, Layla's words caught up with him and he looked at her in surprise.

"A goddess?"

-------------

"You're insane."

"You've mentioned this already," Naomi sighed into the phone.

"Well, it's true. Do you really expect this to work?" Sam's skeptical tone was beginning to irritate Naomi. _Why does she have to be so difficult? _She sighed again and flopped back onto her bed.

"Look, do you have any better ideas?" Silence was her only answer. "Well?"

"I'm thinking!" Sam snapped. A deep sigh reached Naomi's ears through the phone, then Sam spoke again. "I guess not."

"Then my idea is the best one we've got. Now if you can stop arguing with me long enough, go get Tucker and bring him here. He's already been told about the plan, so he's ready, but with Danny gone, we're thinking safety is numbers is key."

"And what will you be doing?" Naomi sighed again.

"Getting the final member of our team." That said, she hung up the phone before Sam could get in any more arguments.

Naomi sat up on her bed again and stretched her back. _I really hope this idea of mine works. Sam's not wrong; it _is _a bit insane…and there's no guarantee it'll even work._

Standing up, she turned to face the full-length mirror hanging on the door of Jazz's closet and stared at her reflection. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, something she rarely did except when she knew she was going to be running around. Her skin was pale and unaccented since she hadn't wasted her time with any makeup; and fearful blue eyes stared back at her from the surface of the mirror. _God, I'm so scared…I don't know if this will work, and if it doesn't…we might lose Danny._

Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths and fought back the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes. _In fact, I don't even know if I'm prepared to do this…but it's our best shot at finding Danny; we all have to make sacrifices sometimes…_

Suddenly the doorbell rang, snapping Naomi from her thoughts. _Well, it's now or never… _Exiting Jazz's room, she headed for the stairs and glanced at her watch. 8:59 a.m.

"Right on time," she chuckled as she walked quietly down the stairs so as not to disturb anyone sleeping in. _It _is_ Sunday, after all…_

The doorbell rang again and she hurried to the door this time. _And the last piece of the puzzle arrives…_ Unlocking it, she slowly pulled the door back towards her, smirking at the person who was glaring down at her from the doorstep.

"I see you got my message…Vlad."

-------------

"She's a _goddess_?" He shouted, standing up rapidly and pulling painfully on his wound. Danny hissed in pain and doubled over a bit, putting his arms to his chest, but he managed to remain standing. _Ow…_

"Are you…"Layla's concerned tone began to speak, but she was quickly cut off by more yelling.

"A freakin' goddess?! How the hell am I supposed to defeat a _goddess_?!" Danny continued to bellow in shock, pacing angrily around the room, ignoring the fire spreading in his chest. _How can I beat Melantha if she's a goddess? I just…can't. I can barely beat a strong ghost, how will I beat a god?_ He ranted to the air for several minutes, not hearing anything except the sound of his own voice echoing off the walls when suddenly he fell flat on his back. "What the…"

"Shut up." Layla stood over him, glaring menacingly. She had shoved him to the floor and now some mysterious force held him pinned to the ground. _Probably more of her magic…_

"What are you doi-" With a wave of her hand, Layla abruptly cut off his voice. Danny's eyes widened as he moved his mouth, but no sound came out. _What…what's happening? What did she do to me?_

"Just shut up, you foolish boy." Her voice filled with a sudden malice, and her furious brown eyes watched his lips as he attempted to speak.

"You understand nothing here, and screaming about it only decreases your chance at making it out of this place alive."

Danny looked up at her, fear shining in his eyes at her surprising anger. _Whoa…_ Layla suddenly chuckled, having thought of something funny.

"What?" He mouthed, still hearing no sound come out. She smiled down at him, the anger quickly disappearing from her gaze. _I wonder what's so funny…and how can she just switch moods like that?_

"Well…you'll make it out of this place as alive as you are now." He raised an eyebrow at her, not quite understanding what she'd said. She shook her head, as if to say "never mind", and with a flick of her wrist his voice returned to him, drawing a shocked gasp from his lips.

"Ho…How did you do that?" He asked, the faintest terror still showing in his gaze. Layla smiled widely.

"With magic, sweetie." _Why does she keep calling me that? She can't be much older than me…_

"No, I meant the going from being furious to laughing at…stuff," he said, forcing himself to a sitting position. Layla's smile faltered and she looked off to the side but held her hand out to him. Grasping her intention, he gripped her hand and she help him to his feet.

"I have anger management issues," she said softly, not meeting his eyes. _Isn't that a bit of an understatement? _He said to himself.

"Oh."

-------------

Swinging the front door shut, Naomi leaned back against it and crossed her arms over her chest. Like a falcon watching its prey, her eyes followed Vlad as he paced back and forth between the couch and the stairs, seemingly deep in thought. _Well…this is gonna be difficult._

"So…who's Melantha and why is a ghost like you so afraid of her?" She asked, jumping right into the issue. Vlad paused in his tracks and looked up at her, a satisfied grin crossing his face.

"So you have found out your birthright then?" She sighed, but nodded.

"And it is?"

"Listen _Plasmius_, I am not a well of information. And you will not find out who my father is from me." _Especially since I still don't even know his name…_ "All you get from me is that I know my heritage. Now, tell me who Melantha is or get out of this house."

Vlad sighed deeply and sat down on the couch, his eyes never leaving Naomi.

"It is quite a long tale…" He began dispassionately.

"Make it short," came Naomi's curt reply. _I don't have time for this crap…_

"Dear child, you have no sense of suspense and drama, do you?"

Storming over to him, she slammed her palms down on the coffee table in front of the couch and lowered herself to his eye-level.

"I don't have time for dramatics, Vlad. Get on with it before I kick your billionaire butt out of here!" Vlad smirked and she frowned. _Darn it! He made me lose my cool…and I've got to keep calm if I'm going to get this to work…_

"All right, as you wish, dear child." He stroked his chin for a moment, then began to speak. "Melantha is a very powerful ghost, and former Queen of the Ghost Zone. She ruled it for a brief period of time, before becoming consumed by power and rage, forcing the ghost guardians of time to imprison her in an enchanted slumber." _It obviously didn't last too long…_

Standing up, he began to pace around the room again. Naomi didn't move, her hands still braced against the table, but let her eyes follow him.

"Recently, the enchantment was broken by a duo of meddling rebels and she was released. Now ghosts of all kind are flocking to her, some even being granted extra power for serving her, as you saw with Ember." _Well…that explains why Danny was freaked out by her…_

"So why aren't you helping her and gaining more power? What are you afraid of?" Naomi taunted, relishing the anger on his face.

"Melantha seeks to control both the ghost world and the human one. But a joining of the two worlds would be disastrous to both…"

"And I'm guessing it would also ruin a lot of your evil schemes."

"It would disrupt a few of my plans, yes." A small smirk graced his lips, causing her frown to deepen. _That miserable, conniving sneak…He only wants to bring Melantha down to pave the way for his plans. But like that old saying goes…gift-horse, mouth… _She rose from her position and faced him with a self-satisfied smile of her own.

"Well, it must be your lucky day, Vlad, because your wish just so happens to be what I'm planning to do this afternoon."

"A child like you is going to try to stop a queen?" He asked skeptically.

"No. I _am_ going to bring down Melantha…" She grinned widely. "…and you're going to help."

-------------

They stood in silence for a few minutes, neither of them looking at each other. _I should probably say something…_

"Uh…Layla?" Her head tilted to look at him, but her eyes seemed unfocused. "Why did you wake me up?" She gasped and suddenly straightened.

"Oh my, I can't believe I'd forgotten….I came to free you." _Free me? But…why? _Before he could voice his thoughts, Layla answered them for him.

"It isn't right for you to be here…Melantha has truly lost her mind." A somber look came over Layla's face and it occurred to Danny that she must have a great connection and attachment to Melantha. _She looks so sad…_

"…I'm sorry your boss is insane."

Layla shook her head gently.

"It doesn't matter. My priority now is getting you out of here." With that, she grabbed his hand in her silken-clad one and pulled him to the door.

"You should be able to transform now with only a moderate energy drain…you'll be too vulnerable as a human anyway." Danny did as she suggested and transformed, leaving Layla looking a bit shocked. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she laughed nervously.

"Sorry, I've just never seen a half-breed's transformation before…it was amazing," she said, smiling gently. He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "You'd better get going."

He reached for the doorknob, but before his gloved hand could make contact it swung open by itself. Glancing back, he saw Layla's hand fall back to her side, her magic task done. Jumping into the air, he started to fly away, but the sound of Layla's voice made him glance back at her.

"One last thing Danny…Melantha has only two weak spots. She is unable to go intangible, so she couldn't follow you through a wall…though with the ghost blockers in place here…"

Danny nodded, appreciating the knowledge, even if it wasn't particularly helpful. _I'll have to think of some way to use that against her…_

"What's the other?" Layla looked up at him, fire blazing in her eyes.

"Her amulet. Given the chance…go for that."

"Thank you, Layla," he grinned down at her.

"No problem." Nodding at her, he flew out the doorway, leaving the chuckling woman behind him.

**----------------------------------------------**

Well…lots of development in this chapter…Bet ya can't wait to see what happens next! I know I can't!! (lol)

I do have the end of this story planned out, and I have a good deal of the next chapter written so…Review and I'll get off my butt and write!!

I hope to update this with the next chapter sometime in the next two weeks, it all depends on how well my schedule meshes with my beta's…sigh

So…review and tell me what ya thought! And hopefully Chapter 15 will soon be coming to a computer near you!


	16. Chapter 15: Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Okay…um…I could explain the lateness, but to be honest there are SOO many reasons that it would probably take a long while to do…So if you'd like a full explanation, just PM me…I mean, if you're really that interested…**

**The important thing is that I'm back, and in fact, now writing a LOT more actively…So without further ado (and please read my end notes) here's the next installment of The Ghost Goddess!**

**Chapter 15 – Darkness**

_Wow, this place is huge… _Danny thought as he flew through the hallways of the fortress, illuminated only by small flickering torches mounted to the walls. He'd been searching through the darkness for at least ten minutes and had still been unable to locate an exit. Turning into a poorly lit passage yet again, he flew the length of it only to find another fork in his path.

Sighing deeply, he landed on the ground and looked back and forth between the two corridors, not sure where to go next. _Okay, I think I'm lost…Should've asked Layla for directions._ Frowning deeply, he sighed again and randomly picked the left corridor. _Let's try this one…_

Becoming tired from flying, Danny decided not to push his recovering body and began walking down the hallway, noticing the odd lack of pictures or statuary. _If this is a castle, shouldn't there be more crap around? I mean, who's heard of a castle without suits of armor lining every hallway?_

He saw a small wooden door at the end of the long hallway, and once he reached it he noticed what appeared to be rough designs etched into it. Squinting in the dim light, he could see the faint imprints of names. Touching the door lightly, he smoothed his fingers over the letters. Only one name was fully visible; it was about dead center of the door and larger than all of the others. Danny ran his fingers over it, silently spelling it out in his head. _Kael…_He shook his head, trying to think of who they had been or why they might have carved their name in the door.

Danny put his hand to his head and scratched nervously. _I wonder who he was…maybe he was a prisoner here too…Maybe all theses names are here because people escaped! I wonder if I should add my name…_ A sudden loud thump in the corridor behind him stirred Danny from his thoughts. Glancing behind him, he saw nothing, but the thump came again. _Time to leave…Think about Kael later, get out of here now!_

Throwing open the door, he ran through it and found himself in an opulently decorated room. He walked slowly over emerald tiles, staring in awe at the lilac trimming on the crème walls. _That trim looks almost like Sam's eyes…_ A sudden pang hit his heart at the thought of his friends. _I wonder if they even know I'm missing…Is Sam even trying to find me? I know she's been jealous of Naomi and angry at me lately…_

His attention shifted to the two platforms against either wall. On top of the platforms were perfectly preserved mummies, sitting in highly polished wooden chairs and on top of pillows that matched the lilac trim of the room. _Okay, that's weird…kinda balances the lack of statues though… _Danny thought as he stepped closer to one of the platforms. _I wonder why they're here…_ As he admired the different styles of armor they wore, he noticed that one of the chairs in the middle of the left platform was empty. He walked over to it and hopped onto the dais. Circling the chair, he noticed a small brass plate attached to the back of it. A series of strange symbols, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, were carved into it. _Maybe it's someone's name…a missing soldier or something._

Suddenly, a loud creaking noise drew his attention. A large golden door was opening at the end of the hall, all by itself. _Well…that's fairly creepy… _He stepped off the platform and walked towards the door, seeing only darkness beyond it. _Maybe it's Layla with another assist…_

-------------

"We're all insane."

"Will you stop saying that?!"

"It's true."

Naomi sighed deeply, ignoring Sam's negativity and looked around the basement at her band of warriors, all ready to fight to save Danny.

Tucker caught her eye first, mostly because he was playing with Jack and Maddie's ecto-blasters, 'accidentally' blowing holes in the floor.

"Ha, this is so much fun!" He shouted gleefully, running around the room like a crazed maniac. Sam stood to the right of Naomi, rolling her eyes as she watched Tucker careen around the room. Clad in her normal black, she had various ghost fighting weapons strapped to her belt and something she'd called the Jack of Nine-Tales clasped in her right hand so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Naomi couldn't tell if Sam's grip was because of Danny's absence or because of Naomi herself. _It's not like it really matters though…She's been acting really angry towards me all morning, like she hates me or something. _Turning her gaze to her left, Naomi quickly scanned Vlad. He stood perfectly still in his slick tailored suit, staring into the swirling abyss that was the open Ghost Portal.

Suddenly, something rocketed past Naomi's right ear, blasting a hole in the wall in front of her and singeing the hair on that side. Whirling around, she sent a death glare at Tucker, who merely laughed nervously.

"Sorry Naomi." Sam shook her head, quickly confiscating the blasters from Tucker.

"Quit playing around, Tucker, this is serious!" As the duo started to yell at each other, Naomi heard Vlad begin to chuckle beside her. _Danny is doomed. _She thought with a sigh.

"Okay, enough!" Naomi yelled. Sam and Tucker jumped at the sound of her voice as their argument was abruptly halted, Tucker looking shocked while Sam glared at her angrily. "We don't have time for this bickering; we're wasting what could be the only chance we have at saving Danny." Hearing more chuckling behind her, she whirled around and pointed her index finger accusingly at the billionaire.

"And _you'd_ better keep your mouth shut and follow the plan, Vlad, or I'll tell my mother what you _really_ are." His face suddenly flushed beet-red and he opened his mouth to speak, but Naomi quickly cut him off. "One word against me and I scream for Mom." Pursing his lips into an unhappy sneer, he glared at her but held his tongue. _Well, let's see how long this blessed silence lasts…_ Nodding a bit, she turned back towards her friends.

"Naomi, I really don't think…"

"…that this is a good idea. I know Sam, but we don't have any other plan right now. Right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the Goth, who simply crossed her arms against her chest and looked to the side. "I know it's not the greatest idea and we're probably all doomed anyway…but we have to save Danny, we just have to…"

At the sudden sadness that entered her voice, Vlad made a face at her, plainly asking without words if she was feeling guilty. Naomi shot him an angry look in return, and then proceeded.

"Sam, Tucker…you guys know what to do." They both nodded, Sam climbing into a large floating vehicle parked in front of the portal.

"We follow you and Chuckles there with the Specter Speeder and be the cavalry if things go wrong," Tucker said, and then joined Sam inside the speeder.

Naomi turned to Vlad, who was smiling contentedly, having received all the answers he'd wanted from her previous angry look.

"And are you clear on this plan, _Vladimir_?"

"Yes, _child_," He sneered at her, clearly insulted by the use of his full name. Naomi just gave the billionaire a huge Cheshire cat grin.

"Well then…do it." She waved her hand at him and he sighed heavily. Jet-black rings formed around his waist and slid up and down his body, changing his normally pale complexion into a cold blue and exchanging his perfectly tailored suit for a cape and a jumpsuit that was the exact opposite of Danny's. _Wow…it's just like Danny's transformation, but…eviler._

The now-ghostly Vlad grinned at her, his evil red eyes shining brightly. Naomi ignored him and slid a headphone and mouthpiece combination into her ear, something Sam had called the Fenton Phones.

"Can you guys hear me?" She said into them.

"Roger that," came Tucker's confident reply.

"Don't try to act cool, you're not good at it," Naomi laughed.

"Yeah…" His voice replied in a cold tone and then Naomi heard nothing but crackling silence on the other end. _I wonder what I said… _While she thought, Vlad kept staring down at her, grinning almost menacingly.

"Are _you_ ready, dear child?"

She glared up at the old billionaire and as she noticed his sickeningly sweet and obviously fake smile, she wondered why he had agreed to work with them. _I mean, I know I threatened to tell my mother about him, but everything I've ever heard about him makes me think he wouldn't cave that easily, especially not to a 14 year-old…so what does he hope to gain from this?_

"Let's fly," she said, reluctantly taking hold of Vlad's outstretched hand. They rocketed into the air and zoomed into the portal, the sheer speed surprising Naomi. In the distance, she could hear the sound of the Specter Speeder starting up and following after them.

"We're all doomed," Sam's voice cackled through the Fenton Phones, echoing Naomi's earlier thoughts and she nodded her head slightly in agreement. _Yep. Definitely doomed._

-------------

Danny walked slowly into the dark room, the sound of his footsteps meeting tile creating an eerie echo in the air. _Well, this is fairly freaky, I can't see a thing…I'm guessing this isn't the way out…_

A sudden bright light shined beamed from the center of the room like a beacon, lighting up a large platform and illuminating an elegant throne. A mysteriously beautiful woman sat atop it, her smooth black hair rippling down her sides in waves and flowing over the armrests of the chair, which were giant golden cats looking as if they'd been frozen in mid-strike. The rest of the room remained dark and he wondered why. _Who is she?_

"Welcome to my palace, Daniel," the woman said as she swept her arm out, gesturing towards the building beyond the shadows. _This must be Melantha…She looks similar to Naomi…Long black hair and…well, actually that's pretty much it, but still…something about her reminds me of Naomi…I wonder why…_

"What do you want with me?" Danny glared up at her, outright rage plain on his face. Melantha smiled condescendingly down at him, arrogance radiating off her in waves.

"My…my…so abrupt. Have you no manners? Do you not know how to greet a generous hostess properly before making demands, dear boy?"

"I guess my manners must have been affected by the poison you gave Ember's new claws," he shot back, balling his fists at his side as pain rippled across his chest. _My wounds still aren't completely healed yet…_ At his retort, Melantha turned her head slightly to one side, her eyes looking at the shadows behind her.

"Tsk, tsk, you've been naughty again Layla…" With her words, a familiar figure stepped out from behind the throne and stood beside her mistress. Danny gaped up at Layla, who avoided his gaze, and Melantha grinned down at him once more. "Dear boy, did you think you'd made a new friend? It was on _my_ orders that you were freed."

He felt his eyes get wider and his teeth clench tightly together, grinding against each other. Danny began to shake in anger and Layla looked off to the side, her face blank of expression. _She played me…she tricked me! Made me trust her…feel sorry for her! _Summoning ghostly energy to his hands, he raised his arms to attack but before he could react, he was on his side sliding across the floor. Ember had dashed out of the shadows to the side of him and now proceeded to leap on top of him, pinning his arms and legs to the floor. He struggled to move but her grip was quite strong.

"No one attacks the Dark One." Ember spoke in a reverent tone, something Danny would never have expected to hear out of the teenaged ghost. From somewhere in front of them, he heard Melantha sigh.

"I should have expected no less, you are half human after all…But then again, you also do not seem to understand that I am worshiped by all, human and ghost alike. They tremble on their knees, praying to please me; I am the darkest night, she who promises-" Danny suddenly blasted Ember off of him, causing her to fly through the air and smash into the base of the platform, shaking the throne and cutting off Melantha's sermon.

"She who promises boring speeches?" He finished her statement mockingly. Melantha's eyes had turned a violent shade of violet and she was visibly enraged, her hair waving around her face intensely.

"_How dare you interrupt me?! How dare you MOCK ME!!_" The ghost waved her hands in front of her and the curtains of shadows surrounding Danny pulled back to reveal a thick circle of ghosts all around them. He felt his eyes widen again, but for shock instead of anger this time. _Oh my gosh…There's so many of them…She's got a freaking army!_

The crowd suddenly rushed at him and he found himself momentarily buried underneath them. _Got…to…get…out…of here! _Firing energy bolts, he threw them off of him in large clumps. Once he had managed to stand again, he found himself face-to-face with Skulker and Necron. Before any of them could engage, however, Melantha's voice rang out across the hall, ordering her minions to stop. The hordes pulled back, Skulker and Necron reluctantly so, and formed a circle around them once again, though they were much closer than before.

"Now, now, there's no reason to fight…I do not mean you any harm, Daniel."

"Well, you could've fooled me, what with the repeated ghost attacks, getting stabbed by your minion, being kidnapped and held prisoner against my will…," he replied, tapping on his fingers as he counted each offense. Melantha seemed to ignore his comment and pressed onward.

"You should not rebel against me; I am offering you a chance to be greater than you are! Join me and together we can make the worlds tremble in terror!" Raising an eyebrow, he regarded her with a curious look.

"You know, if you're lonely, I would recommend a cat…"

"Idiot child! I am offering you power that you have never know before! You could rule at my side; think of the possibilities, Daniel!" Her eyes were wild with the thought, her grin wide and frightening.

"Wow, your people skills amaze me. Calling someone an idiot to get them on your side; sheer brilliance!" As he mocked her yet again, Melantha slowly rose from her throne, her jubilant expression quickly replaced by rage. Layla's eyes grew wide in fear as Melantha menacingly descended the steps of the platform. Danny, taking the rage on her face as a bad sign, began to back away rapidly, only to bump into the circle of ghosts behind him. They seized his arms and shoved him to the floor, where he landed on his knees right at Melantha's feet.

"Layla…" The woman said softly. Her servant rushed down to them, hooking her gloved hands around his forearm to roughly pull Danny to his feet. Jerking away from her grasp, hurt flashed briefly in her eyes as she silently backed away to merge with the throng of ghosts. When he turned back to look at Melantha, he found her smiling sweetly down at him. _Now that's just eerie…Evil grins suit her, but this pleasant smile is creepy…_

"You should be certain of your choice; it is most unwise to defy me, Daniel. There is not a being in existence that has gone against me and survived to tell the tale."

"What about those ancient ghosts that imprisoned you in the first place?" At his words, her smile faltered momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure.

"How often do you see those ghosts wandering about?" She replied. _Well, she's got me there…_ "You have seen the great assets I bestow upon my most loyal servants. With my powers I could grant you strengths that you will never acquire on your own, and you would rule at my side…or I could punish your audacity and willingness to stand against me."

_Powers I'd never get on my own…I'd be strong enough to protect everyone then…But I'd only get them at the expense of my morality, which could lead me down the path to becoming Dan again…and I _won't_ let that happen!_

"Sorry, not interested. _Really _not interested." Melantha kept smiling for a moment, then realized what he had truly said. Her eyes flashed violet again and her smile twisted into a sneer, a low growl emerging from her lips. Surprised, Danny began to back away again. She advanced on him and he charged an ecto-blast, firing it at her, but before it reached her three near-shapeless ghosts flew from the circle and dodged in front of her. The middle one took the blast full in the chest and disintegrated.

_How the hell can I fight her?! All these ghosts are willing to sacrifice themselves for her…_ He thought, gulping nervously. Melantha reached a hand into the air, pointing all her fingers at him.

"You defied me…you mocked me…and you refused me. Your mind is clouded by your ignorant sense of righteousness...so now let your eyes be clouded as well." She began to cackle loudly and maliciously as Danny saw shadows begin to creep across his sight. Shocked, he watched in horror as the shadows blocked his vision completely, the last image in his mind of Layla looking at him from behind Melantha, fear on her face.

_What's happening to me?!_

**----------------------------------------------**

Okay here goes…It's sad to say, but there is only one more chapter and an epilogue of this story left…Its really come a long way though and I'm glad I had so many reviewers who put up with my long periods of inactivity…

**BUT! **Good news is, this was only the beginning…there is a whole series of stories to come! (In fact, I've already started work on the next one, in between finishing up this one)

So, I hope you'll all forgive me for non-updatyness, and keep reading my stories, especially with a series on the way!

Also, one last thing…Starting with the second story (which **[SPOLIER** will be called Twisted Triangles), I shall be recommending ONE story at the end of every chapter, and each story recommended will be added to my C2 for future reference in case you miss one. They will have to be DP related and please do not pitch your stories just to see their title on my chaps, I will be picking stories that are great or funny or whatever I feel like picking. This isn't cause I think my skills at picking stories rock, I just think that a lot of people have written great DP stories and should get more publicity for them XD

Anyway, I WILL see you soon with the next and (sob) final installment of GG! (and I will be posting the epilogue right after chapter 16, simply because I can and its actually done already.)


	17. Chapter 16: The Dark Violet

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

**Well, it's finally here…the end of Ghost Goddess. But Twisted Triangles is up next, so I hope you'll all stay tuned!**

**And I realize its been a LONG while since I updated, but since I have made this chapter my longest yet, I hope you'll forgive me **

**Chapter 16 – The Dark Violet**

"Why are we doing this?" Sam asked as they sped through the Ghost Zone, her voice echoing loudly in the quiet Specter Speeder.

"So that Naomi and Vlad have backup in case they get attacked on the way, since she's helpless and he only has one hand free," Tucker replied matter-of-factly.

"No, I don't mean _that_!" He turned his head to look at his irate friend, a questioning expression on his face. "What I meant was, why are we going along with _Naomi's _plan?" Sighing deeply, the tech-head focused his attention back on the Speeder's controls.

"Because she's the only one of us who came up with a halfway decent idea that might also actually work."

"But the key point in her plan is to work with Vlad who, in case you've forgotten, is Danny's arch-foe!" She exclaimed, slamming a tightly clenched fist down on the console beside her, which then proceeded to beep loudly at her. Tucker calmly reached over and flipped a switch in front of her hand, cutting off the alarm.

"And _he_ happens to be the only one of us with powers that might actually stand a chance against this uber powerful ghost we're going up against," he logically pointed out, but Sam merely rolled her eyes.

"And that's another thing…how can we really believe that Vlad's on our side in this? For all we know, he could be planning to betray us to this 'Melantha' the moment we stop! I mean, if she could give Ember power enough to defeat Danny, imagine how strong she could make Vlad!" _We can't trust him; he's always been trying to hurt Danny…I can't understand why Tucker go along with Naomi's reckless plan; he knows that!_

Tucker turned on the vehicle's auto-pilot and then turned his entire body to face Sam, who mirrored his movements.

"Sam, think about it rationally for a moment. Why would Vlad do that?" _Because that's what he does, he's evil…_"First of all, maybe Melantha could give him more power, but he'd have to be an underling to get it. No matter how power-hungry he might be, that's not Vlad's style."

"But he's ev-" Tucker cut her off mid-word.

"Don't interrupt me. Just listen for a minute, okay?" She rolled her eyes again but closed her mouth, biting down hard on her bottom lip. _Since when did Tucker get all insightful like this?_ "Secondly, Vlad doesn't want Danny dead; he wants Danny to fight alongside him. So no matter how evil he is, it's unlikely that Vlad is going to risk pissing Danny off by killing the friends who were coming to rescue him. Third, I understand that you're jealous that Naomi…"

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!"

"…came up with the plan to save Danny," he continued, ignoring her outburst. "But think about it this way; at least one of us came up with a way to save Danny instead of leaving him alone and injured wherever it is that Ember hauled him off to."

_I hate to admit it…but that actually makes sense...Darn it, why does he have to be right all of the time!_ Sam remained silent for a while, trying to come up with an appropriate response.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Sam, you are eventually going to have to deal with your jealousy of Naomi, you know."

"How many times do I have to say that I'm not jealous? And even if I was, how would you know anyway? You're always playing with your stupid PDA," she scoffed, Tucker giving her an annoyed look.

"I'm tech-obsessed, not blind. I notice a lot of things that people think I don't. For example, I've seen the way you glare at Naomi, which by the way is really weird considering you were friends with her first." She opened her mouth to retort, but found she had no explanation. _He is right though; I was friends with her before him and Danny…_ "I've also seen the way you look at Danny when you think no one's watching you, and it's pretty much the same look Naomi gives him…and it's _exactly _the same way I look at her."

"Tucker…" Sam's voice became soft at her friend's unintentional confession. _I thought he was just infatuated but he really does care about her…And he's planning to break it off so that his best friend can be happy; I keep forgetting that Tucker isn't just the comedic relief of our group…_

"It doesn't matter."He turned back to the controls and avoided her near-pitying gaze. "Sam, I'm only gonna say one more thing and then we are going to drop this topic so we can focus on rescuing Danny."

_He's the one who brought all this up! _She began to protest, but decided better of it and simply nodded her head.

"Okay."

"Whether you'll admit to it or not, I know you're jealous. And you and I both know that Danny and Naomi like each other. So you really only have two options in this."

"Which are?" She asked, curious. _Where's he going with this?_

"You either have to tell Danny how you really feel…or stand back and let him be happy with someone else."

"Even if that someone else is _your_ girlfriend?"

"Even if." Tucker switched the Speeder back to manual and tried to catch up with Naomi and Vlad, whom he'd lost sight of during the chat.

Sam sat back in her chair, contemplating what he'd said. _Could Tucker be right, am I jealous? It does bug me a lot to know that Naomi likes Danny, and that he likes her. It seems like its been bothering me a lot more lately, so much that I've been acting like I hate Naomi, even though I really don't…I've wanted to tell Danny how I feel for the longest time, but I haven't found the words…Every time I tried, we would get attacked by ghosts or interrupted by Tucker or his parents…Should I let someone else have a chance? I mean, they might end up being very happy together… I guess the real question is: Can I stand aside?_

"You know, I never thought you could be so insightful," she finally commented and he grinned without looking over at her.

"Every geek has his day."

-------------

_I think I'm going to be sick. _Naomi thought weakly as the world swum green in front of her. _Vlad's moving really fast…_ Closing her eyes, she clutched her fingers tighter around the arm encircling her waist. She did this not for comfort, but to ensure that her companion could not drop her. _I don't care that he's helping us; I can't drop my guard around him…but…_ She gulped deeply. _…I really think I'm gonna hurl. _With her free hand, she withdrew the Fenton Phones from her ears and stuffed them in her pocket. If she was going to be sick, she knew Tucker and Sam wouldn't want to listen to it.

"Feeling ill?" Vlad's confident tone echoed around her.

"Shut…up," she replied through clenched teeth. He chuckled in her ear as their bodies rapidly jerked forward. Naomi's stomach heaved and she bit down hard on her bottom lip, the faintest taste of blood reaching her tongue. _I will not throw up, I will not throw up, I will not throw… _Her thoughts were interrupted again by the pompous billionaire.

"If you keep your eyes closed, you'll miss it." Intrigued, Naomi opened her eyes, gasping loudly at the sight before them. A large floating island lay ahead, a golden Egyptian-style pyramid resting on top of it. The land around it was surprisingly barren and undecorated, but she could see a small door on the side of the building, some unrecognizable symbols etched into it. _Wow, it's beautiful…and impressive._

"So that's her fortress?" She asked, her nausea instantly forgotten.

"Yes…that is the pyramid of Chione." They landed on a thin pathway that led directly to the pyramid's door. As soon as her feet touched solid ground, Naomi wrenched her body from Vlad's firm grasp.

"Why is it called that?" She sent him a questioning gaze, but he merely shrugged.

"I believe the only person who could answer that with any amount of certainty would be Melantha herself," he replied calmly. Grinning widely, she set her sights on the entrance of the looming structure.

"Then let's go ask her." _We're coming Danny, please hold on!_ Naomi sprinted forward and shoved the heavy door open, Vlad floating in slowly behind her. She quickly scanned the sizeable hall she'd entered. _Okay, marble tiles, platforms and chairs, creepy mummies…Aha! Giant golden door…_ Her feet practically flew over the titles as she hurried towards her discovery but she paused suddenly when she realized Vlad was not following her; he was standing in the center of the hall, gazing around in amazement.

"Astonishing…simply incredible!" He exclaimed, his face aglow with wonder.

"Hey, you can admire the décor later; for now can we _please_ get moving?" She pleaded, motioning at the door.

"Are you _really_ that ignorant, child?" He asked, shooting her a venomous gaze. "To be surrounded by all of this and not be in awe?"

"Listen, I don't care about Melantha's choice of statuary…"

"These are no mere statues! This is Melantha's army…" He trailed off, his attention focused once more on the mummies she had so casually dismissed at first glance. Curious, Naomi moved away from the door and inched closer to the platforms.

"Her…ar-army?" She stuttered. "What do you mean?" Turning towards her with a wicked grin on his face, Vlad stalked towards her a bit.

"Yes, her army. The most loyal of her followers, imprisoned alongside their mistress for all eternity." He swept his hand emphatically as he spoke and Naomi took a longer look around the room, finally spotting an empty chair among the rows.

"So that's where Melantha was?"

"Of course not, dear girl! I cannot begin to fathom why there is a vacancy…but a queen always rests in the throne room."

"Then let's _go_!" She urged but Vlad shook his head.

"Come here," he demanded.

"Why?" Naomi asked, eyeing his cautiously.

"There is something you need to see," came the cryptic reply. Warily, she joined him in the center of the room only to have him suddenly bend over close to her face. She started to move back but he caught her arm and gripped it tightly.

"What the _hell_ are you trying to pull?!"

"Look _down_." Surprised by the softness of his tone, she shifted her gaze to the floor and found an even more shocking sight. The shadow that Vlad's hunched form cast over her was moving; the edges wavered and pieces began to separate. She followed the wisps with her eyes as they slid across the hallway and disappeared under the throne room door.

"What was _that_?" He released her arm and Naomi stumbled backwards.

"Did you not notice the decided lack of shadows in this room?" He asked, his tone clearly saying that he knew she hadn't. "_That_, dear girl, was a display of Melantha's power at its most basic level. The shadows seek her out, no matter where she is…and she can bend them to her will with deadly accuracy." Vlad walked closer to the large door and she followed. _He seems to know a lot more about this ghost than he first let on…_

"And?" He spun on his heel to face her, an amused half-grin on his face.

"And beyond that door she will have formed them into a dense and impenetrable wall. We are unable to enter unless she wants us to." She gaped at him, a look of angry shock flooding her features.

"If you knew this would be a dead end then why did you lead me here?"

"Because you asked," he replied, a smug grin forming on his face.

"And why would you listen to the demands of a fourteen year-old you just met?!"

"And why would _you_ blackmail and work with your friend's arch-foe?" She frowned and he grinned widely again. "We act as we do to achieve our means, _Nammy_."

"Don't push me, _Vladimir_." They narrowed their eyes at each other and potential insults flew through her mind. _Don't lower yourself to petty insults; stay calm or we won't be able to save Danny…But he's so arrogant!_ Before either of them could speak, a loud creaking noise drew their attention and the golden door beside them slowly swung open.

"Welcome to my fortress," a soft and sultry voice called of from the thick black shadows beyond the opening. "Please, enter…"

Vlad and Naomi exchanged a brief look and then Naomi took a trembling step forward into the room.

-------------

Danny just couldn't figure it out; he'd tried everything he could think of. He'd blinked repeatedly, furiously rubbed at his eyes, and even tried to go ghost but nothing had made his vision return. _How did she do this? Is it like Layla's powers, some kind of magic?_

He sighed and pulled his shoulders forward, only to have the ghosts holding him violently force him back. After Melantha had taken his sight, he'd been grabbed roughly and his hands had been forced behind his back. A soft rope of some kind had been snaked around his wrists, binding them together, and then he'd been hauled a short distance to what he thought was the area to the side of the throne platform. From the various threats that had been whispered in his ears, Danny had deduced that it was Skulker and Necron who now held him tightly. _This is getting old real fast…_

"Keep struggling whelp, and my dark goddess will let me hang your pelt on my wall," Skulker hissed in his ear. Sighing again, Danny concentrated very hard and tried to transform but it was no use. That was another problem. Either Ember's poison hadn't faded completely yet, or Melantha had done something else to him, because shortly after he'd been blinded, his powers had faltered and he'd unwillingly returned to human form. _I really hope this isn't permanent…I have to find a way to reverse it and get out of here. With that army of hers, I don't know if I'll be able to beat her in a fight. I have to regroup and figure out how to exploit her weaknesses…provided Layla actually told me the truth about them…_

Danny racked his brain for a plausible escape plan, but he couldn't focus long enough for anything to form. There were whispers all around him; someone was speaking but it was as if his ears had failed along with his eyes and he couldn't make out the words. _What is that ringing noise? It's really low but irritating…Did Melantha block my ears as well?_

"Oh my god!" A shocked shout finally broke through the dull buzzing and his heart began to pound furiously in his chest. _That's…that's Naomi's voice! But…how? What is she doing here? Did she come to rescue me? Are Sam and Tucker with her? Damn, I wish I could see…_

"Naomi?"

-------------

She stepped cautiously into the chamber, the shadows instantly closing behind her. _Okay, this is going to get annoying…_ It was as if a spotlight was above her and Vlad; it illuminated an area approximately 6 inches around them, but then Naomi could see nothing in the darkness beyond.

"I am Melantha, the Dark Violet. Welcome to my palace, Vladimir and Naomi; I have long awaited your arrival…" the mysterious voice called out again and Naomi smirked. _I can hear the regal attitude in her voice…She sounds as if we should already be on our knees worshiping her. Well, I guess it might help to play along…for now._

"We apologize for having kept you waiting and we graciously thank our honorable host for her warm invitation." Vlad raised an eyebrow at her disbelievingly and she shrugged. _What can I say, I know how to kiss ass…_ A light chuckled sounded through the room.

"Yes, you are honored by my presence." _Oh my gosh, she's more arrogant than Vlad; I didn't know that was possible! But I guess I have to play her game if I hope to get any information on Danny…_

"Then perhaps we could be equally blessed by the sight of your fabled beauty?" Vlad gave her another confused look, but she simply shrugged again. _I know I'm laying it on thick, but these shadows are giving me the creeps…I've got goose bumps. _She nervously rubbed her arms. _She's hiding something behind them and I want to know what…_ Another joyous laugh rang out.

"You are quite a flattering child, aren't you? So many children these days have no respect for their betters. Very well, Naomi, you may have what you wish…" At Melantha's words the spotlight above them seemed to expand. A white tiled floor lay before them, a small path of red ones leading from their feet to an elegant golden throne resting on a larger platform. Melantha sat stiffly upon the royal purple satin cushions, her body draped in crimson fabric and her matching fingernails tapping the jaguar armrest lightly. The deep-colored outfit accented her glowing violet eyes and drew Naomi's attention to the long and flowing black locks that swirled around her, caught up in the light purple aura the ghost exuded. The only thing that seemed out of place on the majestic woman was a large oval pendant hanging from a golden chain, a dull sapphire placed directly in its center. _That…she's the woman who's been in my dreams…but how?_

"Vladimir, you seem quite…surprised." The shell-shocked teenager turned to look at her companion, finding that his body had gone completely rigid and that his face was so pale that she began to suspect he might have crossed the threshold and died of fright.

"Sim-simply awed, your g-grace…" Snapped from her daze by his unexpected stutter, Naomi began to grow worried. _Vlad's afraid of her…this cannot be a good thing… _Melantha shifted her gaze.

"You seem awed yourself, Naomi." _Okay, Vlad's terrified and I am getting annoyed with this game._

"Actually, _I_ was surprised. You've been 'haunting' my dreams…pardon the pun." A smile crossed Melantha's face. _Oh, I would love to wipe that smug expression away…_

"And I suppose you wish me to tell you _how_ and _why_?" The ghost put emphasis on the "how" and "why", reminding Naomi a bit of her favorite character from "Alice in Wonderland". _She sounded just like the caterpillar…_

"Well, honestly I don't really care anymore," she said and Melantha's smile faded slightly. "I'm more interested in where you stashed my friend."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah. He's fourteen, short, kinda clueless, named Danny…Ember kidnapped him and she said she worked for you, so I know you've got him around here somewhere," she replied bluntly. Melantha's eyes blinked in disinterest and she waved her hand as if brushing away the issue.

"You bore me, child." _Now I know she's got him; why else would she avoid the question?_ "You both, however, still interest me." Naomi and Vlad exchanged another confused look.

"We do?" Melantha grinned wickedly and nodded.

"Yes, for you both have admirable qualities; Vladimir, you have experience with power and a thirst for such strength that nearly matches my own." Vlad gulped loudly, his hands shaking at his sides. Naomi raised an eyebrow at him, slightly bothered by his behavior. _Geez, he looks like he's about to wet himself…_"And you, Naomi, have untapped abilities and the gift of youth. Properly encouraged and trained, you would be a powerful force, with beauty and power that would trump all others, except for my own of course. Join with me and I shall give you both what you need, what you crave…" Naomi snorted and plastered an obviously fake smile on her face.

"What I _crave_ is to find Danny. I don't need or want power."

"Now, now…" Vlad began. "Let's not be hasty, Naomi." She rolled her eyes and shoved her elbow into his stomach, relishing in the dull groan that escaped his lips. Turning back to the smiling ghost, she crossed her arms against her chest.

"What he means is…thanks, but we'll pass." Melantha's smile instantly flipped and became a deep frown.

"You would refuse _me_?" Naomi nodded.

"Yup. Where's Danny?" _I am nothing if not persistent…_

"You should be certain of your choice; it is most unwise to defy me…as your friend Daniel has learned." Melantha glared wickedly down at them and Naomi gritted her teeth. _I knew it! She did something to him…if she hurt him worse, than I'll make her pay…no idea how, but I'll find a way!_

"What did you do to him?" The irate ghost swept her hand emphatically and the shadows beside her throne parted like a curtain, revealing a sight that made Naomi gasp.

Held forcefully between the grip of Skulker and Necron was Danny, struggling against his captors but failing. He was in human form and his eyes were completely black.

"Oh my god!" She shouted, utterly stunned. Turning back to face the ghost woman, Naomi balled her fists tightly at her sides, her whole body trembling in anger. "What did you do to him? How DARE you! What did you-?!"

"Naomi?" A quiet voice sounded through the room and she halted mid-shout, her eyes watering at the sound. _Danny…what did she do to you?_

"Danny…" The whisper left her throat so softly it was nearly inaudible. But Danny heard it and began to renew his struggles against his captors.

"Don't even think about it, ghost child," Skulker hissed loud enough to be heard, gripping the bare human arm so tightly it began to turn red and Naomi grew even angrier. _I can't believe her!_

"Let him go!" She yelled up at the contently smiling ghost. "Let him go, you horrid bitch-queen!" The ghost's eyes flashed and she stood, a purple aura flaring around her.

"_What_ did you call me, you miserable maggot?" She asked as she slowly descended the platform.

"You heard me." Melantha's rage began showing plain on her face and she advanced upon Naomi rapidly, but the irate teenager held her ground, glaring defiantly upwards as the ghost bent down in her face.

"You worthless child, you know nothing! How dare you make assumptions and mock me, you idiot girl! You _dare_ tempt my wrath but know that you are utterly useless, perfectly expendable!" _Hmph, yeah right…if I really was, she would've already done something to me._

"Then why do _your _minions call _me _the chosen one?" She responded calmly. With a surprising snarl, Melantha grabbed Naomi's arm and shoved her, trying to send her to the ground. _Gah! _Naomi put her hands down behind her to halt the fall and then swung her foot until it hooked around Melantha's ankle, tripping the ghost and sending her to the floor as well. Leaping on top of the fallen ghost, she began tugging her long hair and scratching at her face. Melantha joined in and soon the two were rolling around on the floor. _You damned bitch!_

-------------

When the fight began, the normally aloof billionaire had snapped from his daze and retreated to a safe distance, near where the shadows had parted. As the fight continued, Melantha's hold on the shadows seemed to be fading and as they began to waver, he was able to glimpse the walls beyond. _Naomi is as reckless as her mother used to be…but if she can truly keep Melantha on edge long enough, then perhaps the ghost queen can be defeated again…After all, it wouldn't do to have my plans for her and Daniel spoiled by this dark goddess._

More evidence to his theory of Melantha's loss of concentration arrived in the form of Sam and Tucker bursting through the doors with the Specter Speeder. It skidded to a halt in front of him, and the teenage duo jumped out. _So the cavalry has arrived at last…_

"Vlad, what's going on? We couldn't reach Naomi through the Fenton Phones," Sam demanded. The elderly man simply gazed at the continuing catfight and the two followed his gaze.

"Who's Naomi fighting with?" Tucker asked, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the ghost.

"That would be Melantha." The boy continued to gape at his words.

"_That's_ her? Wow…" Ignoring the fight, Sam turned to Vlad again.

"Where's Danny?" The billionaire glanced at the corner and she followed his gaze, not seeing the wicked grin that crossed his face when she gasped.

"Oh my god! What did she do to him?!" The sight of her blinded best friend set her off and she rushed at the ghosts holding him, her ecto-blasters glowing. "GET OFF HIM!" She blasted Necron off of Danny and sent him flying into the shadows beyond. Skulker released his captive and flew at the girl. _Like I would let one of Melantha's minions succeed… _Vlad smirked while firing an ecto-blast at the ghost, knocking him back long for Sam to grab him with the Jack of Nine-Tales and slam him into the side of Melantha's throne. Skulker slid out of sight behind the platform and Sam rushed to Danny's side. Helping him walk, she led him over to Tucker and Vlad.

"What did she do to him?" The angry Goth girl glared up at him. _Hmm, making demands again, is she?_

"Well…I suspect it is Melantha's shadows…she must have manipulated them to blind young Daniel."

"And how do we reverse it?" He smiled.

"Either convince her to undo it…or defeat her."

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_Ow, she's got my hair! Let go!! _Naomi continued to wrestle with the enraged ghost and somehow they'd both managed to stand again. Now they were holding each other, Melantha having a handful of her hair and Naomi gripping the ghost's arms tightly, trying to force her to release her grip.

From the sidelines, a young brunette woman clad in an off-white tunic and matching gloves slowly approached the quarrelling duo.

"Layla, you stupid servant, stay out of this!" Melantha shouted and the young woman shrunk back in fear, but opened her mouth as she backed away.

"Young Naomi, destroy her amulet! Destroy it and you defeat her!"_ Huh? Amulet? What the heck is an "amulet"? _She thought for a moment as they continued to wrestle before she realized what the girl had meant._ Of course, her necklace!! I knew there had to be a reason why Melantha wore it; it doesn't look very Egyptian…_

"NO!!!" The ghost shouted, turning to look at the betrayer and leaving herself wide open. Naomi released her hold on Melantha and grabbed the sapphire pendant, snapping the chain off her neck. Before the frustrated queen could react, she tossed it to her side where a surprised Sam caught it. Naomi quickly regained her grip on the ghost, who was now shrieking loudly at them all.

"Sam, smash it!"_ And hurry!_

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Sam looked down with shock at the amulet in her hands. _Wow, it's actually kind of pretty…it would be a shame to destroy it, even to stop Melantha…I almost want to put it on…Maybe I should, and just wipe them all out. _Amazed at her own thoughts, she shook her head, trying to clear the evil-sounding ideas from her brain. The woman Melantha had called Layla was staring at her, and before Sam could react, the amulet was snatched from her hands. Layla swung her arm and slammed the pendant into the wall, shattering it into thousands of glittering pieces. _I think the amulet did something to me…it felt like shadows were creeping into my head…_

The moment the necklace cracked, both Melantha and Layla fell to their knees, screaming in pain with an ear-piercing volume. Forced to her knees as well by Melantha's grip on her hair, Naomi began struggling to pull away from her. A sudden glow started to form around Melantha's aura, enveloping both her and Naomi in a brilliant golden light. _Woah…_

-------------

_What is this? I can't see anything, the glow is so bright it's blocking my eyes…but it's warm… _The light around her finally faded and Naomi found herself kneeling on the ground all by herself. Melantha had disappeared and Layla collapsed into a heap on the floor, knocked unconscious by the pain. _We…we did it! We beat Melantha…but I feel kind of woozy._

Rising to her feet slowly, the world spun dizzyingly around her. Quickly regaining her balance, she ran over to the others just in time to see the blackness over Danny's eyes vanish. They all smiled at each other, with the exception of Vlad, and Danny chuckled.

"Let me tell you guys something…being blind sucks." They laughed in relief and Naomi's heart soared. _I'm so glad he's all right… _"But what the heck happened? That battle made some, uh, interesting noises."

"Naomi got in a catfight with Melantha and then this girl-" Tucker pointed at the unconscious Layla. "-told Naomi to smash her amulet. So we did and they both glowed or something…" Danny blinked, the shock showing plainly on his face. _I wonder why he's so surprised…maybe he didn't think I could beat her…_

"And when it faded Melantha was gone," Sam added as Danny absorbed the information with surprise. "This place is kinda creepy, can we leave now?" _Yeah, I'm getting chills for some reason…_

"Wow…and Wisconsin boy over here helped _how_?" He asked as they began to head for the door. Vlad smirked down at the teenagers.

"If it wasn't for me, your friends would never have found you, Daniel." He raised an eyebrow at Vlad.

"They could've just used the ghost tracker in the Specter Speeder." _Dang, why didn't I think of that?_

"Damn, why didn't we think of that?" Sam laughed as they passed over the threshold and Vlad continued to argue with them. _Hmm…_

Stopping just before she passed through the doorway, Naomi glanced back into the room, finally seeing the full stone walls as the shadows had all but disappeared along with the shadow mistress. Her eyes caught sight of Layla lying on the floor. _She helped us…I don't know why a servant would help destroy her mistress, but she did help…I wonder why?_

"Naomi, you coming?" Danny called back into the room. Taking one last glance into the almost empty room, she spun on her heel and joined her friends. _Time to go home and have a well deserved rest…my head still hurts from that bitch pulling on my hair!_

-------------

The battered woman slowly opened her eyes and saw a pair of glowing violet eyes staring back at her. _No, how did I fail?_ She blinked and her vision cleared further, revealing the young girl named Naomi staring at her from the doorway, her eyes glowing violet.

"Naomi, you coming?" Danny called from the hall and she quickly spun on her heel and ran from the room, her eyes instantly returning to normal. Layla smiled weakly as she heard the smaller exit door closing and silence fell over the pyramid.

"I pledge my service to you now…the Chosen One."

**----------------------------------------------**

Epilogue should be up shortly. Its done, I just want to wait a day or so to post it. Plus, I have to add all my thank yous to the end, and should you guys want it, I can add a preview to Twisted Triangles to it! XD


	18. Epilogue: Diary

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the elements of the show.**

NOTE: In case you noticed an update alert for the first like 11 chapters, that was simply me changing the all-bold text FINALLY and fixing a few typos here and there…nothing plot-wise changed, so you don't have to read them over. XD

**Well, I couldn't wait so here (several hours later) is the epilogue, the final piece to GG…(sniffle). Please read the notes at the end for thank you's and a summary of the sequel, Twisted Triangles.**

**Epilogue – Diary**

Dear Journal,

Well…haven't written in awhile.I'd apologize, but since I'm basically talking to myself, there's really no point. Ha ha ha!

…God, I am such a dork…

Anyways, here's what's been up: I found out who my real father is. Well actually, not _who _he is, but I did find out _what_ he is. My birth father is a ghost. (dramatic pause)

I know!! It's so weird, but in a way super cool…My mother fell in love with a ghost!

On a similar topic, I managed to stop this like ultra-powerful ghost and saved the world from like untold torment and stuff…Although the way Danny talks, that apparently happens like once a week here in Amity Park.

Speaking of Amity, I guess I'm adjusting to the move okay. Before we moved Mom had actually talked about getting a therapist for me if I needed help adjusting after the move. But Jazz kind of takes care of that…and hey, she's free!

I'm just really grateful that I met Danny, Sam, and Tucker…My old friends used to be all obsessed with clothes, hair, and boys, which I found ironic seeing as how we went to an all-girls boarding school and never laid eyes on a boy until the summer…unless you count the janitor, but he was old…like 30!

I think the only thing I really don't like is that Mom is officially dating Vlad…UGH!!! Plus, he's apparently going to be around a lot since he doesn't mind traveling back and forth between Amity and Wisconsin…but I really think it's so he can keep an eye on Danny more. I swear, the first sign of Vlad making trouble and I'm telling my mother about what he _really_ is…

Speaking of dating…Tucker and I finally had a long awkward chat and we decided to just be friends. We mutually decided that's its best for both of us, since we were both having doubts about our relationship in the first place. Still, I can't forget what I heard him say the day Danny got kidnapped, about how he loves me. It makes me feel a little guilty about liking Danny…

Hmm…Danny. Now that's a topic I could fill pages with. He's a wonderful friend and very unique but at the same time, not all that different from other people. He gained superpowers in an accident, and then became self-proclaimed protector of his home town…it's a story told in comic books a thousand times over! But he's still the most amazing person I've ever met…He's brave, and funny in a kind of corny way.

Though, he has been acting even weirder than usual lately…he keeps dropping things, tripping every time he talks to me, and he seems to have developed a stutter. Also, I keep catching Sam shooting me dirty looks every time she thinks I'm not watching…or sometimes when I am. I just really don't get her! I mean, I can tell she's jealous but why?

OMG! Is Danny gonna ask me out??!! That would explain everything… (squeals) I would be SO excited if he did…

Wow, I'm _really_ starting to babble on and this entry is getting super long so…one last thing. I keep getting this weird feeling, in the pit of my stomach. It'll just hit me suddenly without warning…but it's like something deep down in me knows that there is still something after me out there…like Melantha isn't really gone or something. I mean, I know I'll probably have to deal with Ember and others, because she'd given them so much power but it's more than that…

Eh, I'm probably just being paranoid again.

Okay, so to recap:

--I found out I'm half-ghost on my father's side.

--I foiled Melantha's schemes and saved the world.

--Sam, Danny, and Tucker are officially the best friends I've ever had (no matter how weird they're all getting around me).

--Mom's dating Vlad.

--Danny might ask me out! .

Well, that's it for now, I'll keep you updated, I promise! Right now I've gotta go finish packing my stuff; Mom and I are finally moving into our new house! I mean, we love the Fentons, but dinner with Jack is just too… (shudders in disgust)

Hmm…I wonder how big my new bedroom will be…Well, until next time!

**----------------------------------------------**

And that, my friends, is the end of The Ghost Goddess…or is it? XD You never know what surprises lie ahead in the coming fics. I can guarantee it. (grin)

**Thank Yous**

First, I'd like to thank my ever-faithful beta/editor **The Sleep Warrior**! She deserves just as much credit for this fic as me, for without her it would not be even half as good as it is! XD

Second, I'd like to thank faithful my reviewers, who reviewed every chapter (or at least most of them) **IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER**: The fantastic SilverstarsEbonyskies, the amazing KatanaSisters, the confident Horselvr4evr123, and the intelligent silverstagbeauty!

There were a LOT of other reviewers, but not always steady (I mean, I only got like 3 reviews for chapter 15!). But I appreciate EVERY single review I got, each one urged me along to finish this story, and sometimes thoughts were even sparked by reviews. So give yourselves a huge round of applause too!

And my **honorable mention**, a new reviewer but the one who pushed me that last bit to finish the incredibly long chapter 16 – **Amanda Ruth**! Yay!

Okay, that's done…so here's your summary:

**Twisted Triangles** - With the Ghost Queen defeated, Naomi turns her attention to a more human problem; dating. Tucker is having trouble believing that Danny has asked Naomi, the girl of Tuck's dreams, on a date. Worst of all, she said yes! On the eve of their first date, jealousy strikes and threatens to tear Danny's and Tuck's friendship apart. Now it's up to Naomi and Sam to keep the boys from killing each other, but when Sam also turns green with envy, there is only one person able to help in the matters of the heart. Will Naomi listen to her most hated enemy or ruin her friendships forever?

And…that's actually it! (sigh) Seems like such a long time ago I started this…somehow I didn't think it would actually ever end…

Anyway, I plan to post TT (as Twisted Triangles will now be referred to) sometime during February. I'm trying to write a few chaps before I post so that I won't fall as behind with updates as I did with this (blush).

If you guys want, I'll even post a name list for some of the fics coming after TT in my profile…

Anyway, until then! (waves)


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